Niti Aayog: 'Panel may recommend using CSR funds for Coronavirus vaccination'

Niti Aayog Member, VK Paul, on Monday said that a high-level committee on COVID-19 is likely to recommend allowing corporates to use CSR funds for vaccinating employees and local communities to control the spread of COVID-19. During an interview with news agency PTI, VK Paul said that as India moves to immunise individuals above 50 years of age, the government will soon decide on funding the vaccination program well in time. 

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Niti Aayog: 'Corporate may use CSR funds for vaccination'

Asserting that the decision of allowing the use of fo CSR funds for COVID-19 vaccination is still under consideration, Pail, who is also the chairman of the National Expert Group On Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) said, "How to use the CSR funds for vaccinating and COVID-19 control has been discussed, and we will come up with specific recommendations in due course."

This comes after a CII  (Confederation of Indian Industry) Taskforce in the last month had recommended the inclusion of certain elements in the vaccination programme as part of the 2 per cent corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure required to be undertaken by a class of profitable entities, saying it will encourage the private sector to inoculate its workforce and help enhance the reach of vaccines.

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India reaches 6 million Covid vaccination mark

While comparing the statistics of the vaccination against COVID-19 across the world, the Union Health Ministry on Monday said that India is the fastest country in the world to vaccinate 6 million people in 24 days.

"In the last 24 days, India is the fastest country to reach 6 million vaccinations in the world. USA took 26 days to reach while the UK took 46 days to reach 6 million vaccinations," Additional Secretary of Union Health Ministry Manohar Agnani said in the press conference.

"As of February 8, 2021, at 6 pm, the total vaccination is 60,35,660, out of which healthcare workers who have been vaccinated are 54,12,270. So far, 6,23,390 frontline workers have been vaccinated since February 2. Today vaccination sessions were organised in 35 states and Union Territories and 2,23,298 people have been vaccinated till 6 pm," he said while giving out the statistics of the vaccination drives across the country.

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"Total of 29 persons have been hospitalised so far. This comprises 0.0005 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of the 29 cases of hospitalization, 19 were discharged after treatment, while nine persons died. In the last 24 hours, one person who is suffering from B/L Facial Palsy has been hospitalized at Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and is stable," read the release by the Union Health Ministry.

India is the third country, after the US and the UK, to vaccinate the highest number of people against COVID-19 infection. The UK and the US, both kick-started their ambitious inoculation drives in December, have vaccinated 10 million and 27 million people respectively. Meanwhile, India, which began its programme on January 16, has crossed 6 million jabs. 

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