India's Covid dilemma: Adults need vaccine, supply chains geared for kids

Whenever a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, India potentially has two advantages: Indian companies already supply the bulk of vaccines to the world, and India already conducts one of the world’s largest immunisation programmes for children and mothers.

India plans to immunise 200-250 million people--a sixth of its population--with 400-500 million COVID-19 vaccine shots by July 2021, the health minister announced on October 4. Vulnerable population groups including healthcare workers will be prioritised in the first round.

Does India have a logistical advantage to manufacture and distribute enough vaccines to Indians? Is India’s existing mother and child vaccine programme a backbone