Union Health Minister to chair meeting on increasing pace of COVID vaccination on Oct 27

Sources informed on Tuesday that Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya would be charing a major discussion on increasing the pace of the COVID-19 vaccination process. All state health ministers are summoned for the same at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi on Wednesday. This chaired meeting would revolve around topics like speeding up the second dose administration and ensuring vaccination for those who have not been inoculated with the first dose yet.

Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also spoke about the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday in Uttar Pradesh. He emphasised how development and health are interlinked while stating that for any country to achieve prosperity, it must become healthy. With an outlay of ₹64,180 crores, PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, announced in the Budget 2021-22, is the largest pan-India Health Infrastructure Scheme that aims to provide a much-needed fillip to India's capacity to address emergent Public Health issues.

WHO to decide Covaxin approval on October 26: Mandaviya 

On Tuesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed that the World Health Organization's (WHO) Technical Advisory Group would make a final decision on October 26 on approval for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of India’s indigenous vaccine Covaxin. The Technical Advisory Group has been handed over the role to the Technical Advisory Group of the WHO of India’s indigenous vaccine; Covaxin. WHO even released a clarification on why the approval of the Covaxin was delayed citing global safety and detailed evaluation as to its priorities. On October 20, Union Health Minister Mandaviya had also had a telephonic conversation with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus discussing the emergency usage of Covaxin.

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