Why India must vaccinate 80% of population by December 2021 — no matter what the cost

Planning for a national Covid-19 vaccination programme has begun to move forward in right earnest in India. Last week Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to state governments outlining the administrative structures to be put in place to oversee the implementation in their respective jurisdictions. As of now, the Narendra Modi government expects the vaccination programme to take over a year, with healthcare and essential services workers getting the shots before the rest of the population. The Modi government has done well to reject the narrative of low expectations by setting a one-year timeline. As I have argued earlier, this is both necessary and eminently doable if we do not limit ourselves to departmental thinking and processes.Read More