Faltering health infra gets a shot in the arm as vaccine roll-out nears

As an extraordinary year is drawing to a close, a seven-part series looks at the key areas that are on the cusp of dramatic changes

If the year of the coronavirus pandemic stretched India’s health infrastructure to the limit, the sector seems to be much more battle ready for the challenges of 2021. The fight against Covid-19 has expanded now — from treatment to prevention — with the country preparing to roll out the massive and unique exercise of adult vaccinations.

Government officials say that by next year, India could have a bouquet of half a dozen vaccines to choose from, since various vaccine candidates are in advance stages of clinical trials. 

The pandemic, though, is far from over. “Every time there has been a pandemic —