Centre to rope in celebs, faith leaders to disseminate accurate info on vaccines

In a bid to build trust and enable confidence in the Covid19 vaccine amongst people the Union Health Ministry will rope in celebrities faith leaders media and RWAs to disseminate accurate and transparent informationA 88page document on Covid19 vaccine communication strategy has been released by the ministry It seeks to disseminate timely accurate and transparent information about the vaccine to alleviate apprehensions ensure its acceptance and encourage uptakeAccording to the document the government aims to achieve this using three strategies first by using the social influence or endorsements from experts and official voices establishment of a National Media Rapid Response Cell and involving community mobilisers and frontline workers to engage with the communityThree platforms will be used to disseminate information which includes celebrities from entertainment industry sports and politics influencers like local leaders faith leaders social cultural leaders panchayat leaders and teachers Frontline workers will also be roped inThe second platform includes community groups such as Gram Sabhas School Management Committees Childrens School Cabinets the NSS the NYKS Scouts and Guides and Cooperatives Thirdly social media community media mass media and outdoor media will be usedWhatsApp will also be used for proactive messaging WhatsApp content toolkit and guide will be made for all campaign partners including Ministries at national and state level to ensure cohesive campaign Coordination groups will be established for social media coordinationIdentify and engage WhatsApp champions from WhatsApp Groups eg school principals RWA chairpersons who can disseminate information and can counter misinformation All states will need to ensure that partners have tools to support the introduction of Covid19 vaccine through digital and social media amplification to reach audiences the document statedThe information on vaccines will clarify that it has gone through various trials and is safe its eligibility criteria and vaccination process where to access the vaccine process of registration and preconditions for vaccination post vaccination care and supportKey elements of the communication strategy will be advocacy capacity building media engagement and social media social mobilisation and community engagemnet and adverse effect following immunisation AEFI communicationThe vaccine is likely to be approved soon As India awaits with bated breath for a silver bullet against coronavirus the Drug Controller General of India DCGI hinted at the approval of vaccine earlier on Thursday and said that the country will have a Happy New Year with something in handThe drug regulator is currently analysing the data submitted by the Serum Institute of India which is manufacturing OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine and Bharat Biotech which is making indigenous vaccine in collaboration with ICMR The expert panel will convene a meeting on January 1 on thisThe Central government plans to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people in the first phase of drive It will be offered to one crore healthcare workers along with 2 crore frontline and essential workers and 27 crore elderly mostly above the age of 50 years with comorbiditiesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever