<p>India is likely to begin administering the first round of Covid-19 vaccines to healthcare and essential service workers in January, and pharmacists may be deployed to administer the vaccine in the second phase, according to a <em><a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/covid-19-crisis-india-may-mobilise-pharmacists-to-administer-vaccine-120101900028_1.html" target="_blank">Business Standard</a></em> report.</p>.<p>According to the report, which cites an official, India has enough trained vaccinators to administer the first shots of the Covid-19 vaccine to the first 3 crore people but may need more vaccinators as the government is targeting 30 crore shots by June 2021. The official also said that final-year MBBS and nursing students will need to be deployed in addition to the auxiliary midwife workforce, and healthcare workers.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/getting-vaccine-doubters-to-roll-up-their-sleeves-won-t-be-easy-903958.html">Getting vaccine doubters to roll up their sleeves won’t be easy</a></strong></p>.<p>According to the official, pharmacists are also likely to be roped into the vaccination programme as the government seeks to make it a mass movement.</p>.<p>Jagannath Shinde, chairman, All Indian Origin Chemists & Distributors, said that India's 8 lakh pharmacists will likely be enthusiastic if they are asked to participate in the vaccination programme and that they are already training people to administer insulin injections.</p>.<p>However, regulations do not permit pharmacists to administer vaccines, and changes may be needed to enlist them for the programme.</p>.<p>For training and certifying the vaccinators, the government may fall back to the Healthcare Sector Skill Council, a certifying organisation under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, to prepare the vaccinator force for the programme.</p>
<p>India is likely to begin administering the first round of Covid-19 vaccines to healthcare and essential service workers in January, and pharmacists may be deployed to administer the vaccine in the second phase, according to a <em><a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/covid-19-crisis-india-may-mobilise-pharmacists-to-administer-vaccine-120101900028_1.html" target="_blank">Business Standard</a></em> report.</p>.<p>According to the report, which cites an official, India has enough trained vaccinators to administer the first shots of the Covid-19 vaccine to the first 3 crore people but may need more vaccinators as the government is targeting 30 crore shots by June 2021. The official also said that final-year MBBS and nursing students will need to be deployed in addition to the auxiliary midwife workforce, and healthcare workers.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/getting-vaccine-doubters-to-roll-up-their-sleeves-won-t-be-easy-903958.html">Getting vaccine doubters to roll up their sleeves won’t be easy</a></strong></p>.<p>According to the official, pharmacists are also likely to be roped into the vaccination programme as the government seeks to make it a mass movement.</p>.<p>Jagannath Shinde, chairman, All Indian Origin Chemists & Distributors, said that India's 8 lakh pharmacists will likely be enthusiastic if they are asked to participate in the vaccination programme and that they are already training people to administer insulin injections.</p>.<p>However, regulations do not permit pharmacists to administer vaccines, and changes may be needed to enlist them for the programme.</p>.<p>For training and certifying the vaccinators, the government may fall back to the Healthcare Sector Skill Council, a certifying organisation under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, to prepare the vaccinator force for the programme.</p>