India launches effort to inoculate all adults against COVID

[JudyM]

Source: Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country’s vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people.

The world’s largest maker of vaccines was still short of critical supplies — the result of lagging manufacturing and raw material shortages that delayed the rollout in several states. And even in places where the shots were in stock, the country’s wide economic disparities made access to the vaccine inconsistent.

The country’s ambitious effort was also partly overshadowed Saturday by a fire in a COVID-19 ward in western India that killed 18 patients, and the death of 12 COVID-19 patients at a hospital in New Delhi after the facility ran out of oxygen for 80 minutes.

Only a fraction of India’s population will be able to afford the prices charged by private hospitals for the shot, experts said, meaning that states will be saddled with immunizing the 600 million Indian adults younger than 45, while the federal government gives shots to 300 million health care and front-line workers and people older than 45.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/india-business-coronavirus-coronavirus-vaccine-health-b2b8e377994ad7fb66f66f9867c95d18

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More headlines:

India’s daily COVID-19 cases pass 400,000 for first time as second wave worsens:
Authorities reported 401,993 new cases in the previous 24 hours, after 10 consecutive days of more than 300,000 daily cases. Deaths jumped by 3,523, taking the country's total toll to 211,853, according to the federal health ministry.

The surge in infections has overwhelmed hospitals, morgues and crematoriums and left families scrambling for scarce medicines and oxygen. And while India is the world's biggest producer of COVID-19 vaccines, shortages of the shots in some states hindered the opening of vaccinations for all adults.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/india-posts-record-daily-rise-covid-19-cases-401993-2021-05-01/

Scientists say India government ignored warnings amid coronavirus surge.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-scientists-say-india-government-ignored-warnings-amid-coronavirus-2021-05-01/?taid=608cd25112d1d5000123766d&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[DENVERPOPS]

1. Right from the first I was watching

India, and knowing the slums a lot of them live in..........I was just waiting for them to prepare for the tsunami of Virus that at some time would spread thru their country like a firestorm.

They appeared to have all the time and money to be going all out on developing a nuclear weapon, but didn't appear to be preparing for Covid...........

Oh well.........

I think we should send all the Anti-Vaxers, and mask hating, Trump Humpers over there to watch up close..........

[peppertree]

2. To say nothing of their rural areas - home to 2 out of 3 in India

As you know, they're usually very tight-knit villages - with poor infrastructure, medical resources, and access to information in general.

That's where a lot of the case undercount is suspected to be coming from.

And that's a good point about their fixation on nuclear weapons.

Reminds me of an Indian political cartoon from the '70s, where Indira Gandhi (dressed up as Marie Antoinette) looks down at a protest of the downtrodden and scoffs: "let them eat plutonium!"

And one of the characters below looks at the other one and says: "at least our atoms are non-aligned!"

[JI7]

3. The PM is leaving it to the states which didn't work in the US

the "wealthiest" country with far less population.

[peppertree]

6. Same with Brazil

Although in Brazil's case, the president actively tried to prevent mayors and governors from enacting policy.

Didn't Cheeto start down that road, until he was finally talked out of it?

[Shermann]

4. CNN reports that vaccines are going for $1000 on the black market there

I wonder how that even works? You'd think the supply would be tightly controlled.

Americans can just waltz over to the drug store and get vaccinated quickly and easily for free, and are like "meh".

[DENVERPOPS]

5. From what I have heard of the

"class" system there, I'm sure that any vaccinations were from the top down........

Seems like a great black market for Big Pharma CEO's to consider........

And it is a damn good thing Ivanka and Jared aren't still running the U.S. government.....for certain, their tiny little grubby paws would have already taken control, and grifted major money for TRUMP INC.......looking to out do the zillions they corruptly sucked from the PPE shortage/crisis.......

[BlueWavePsych]

7. We're not out of the woods yet.

[JudyM]

8. Truth.

Bizarro world.