Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Scripting history: On 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses

Scripting history: On 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses

India must not lose sight of the goal of vaccinating all eligible adults by year-end

India scripted history on Thursday with its COVID-19 vaccine (टीका) doses (खुराक, मात्रा) administered (प्रशासन करना, बांटना, प्रदान करना) crossing the one-billion mark — accomplished (achieve, realize, attain, carry out, perform, complete) in just about nine months after the vaccination programme rollout (official launch/introduction) on January 16. What is even more outstanding (उत्कृष्ट, महत्वपूर्ण, उल्लेखनीय) is the targeting of adults. Unlike the established universal immunisation programme (Immunization Programme in India was introduced in 1978 as ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization’ (EPI) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. In 1985, the programme was modified as ‘Universal Immunization Programme’ (UIP) to be implemented in a phased manner to cover all districts in the country by 1989-90 with one of the largest health programmes in the world. In India’s national Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), the policy is defined, vaccines procured and supplied by the Union government and vaccination implemented by State governments), for infants (baby, newborn, young child) and children, India has never undertaken (आरंभ करना, शुरू होने से शुरू) any massive universal adult vaccination programme. That this exercise (व्यायाम, कार्यवाही) involving thousands of health-care workers and others was carried out (अंजाम देना, आचरण करना, निष्पादित करना) even while in the midst of (के बीच में) a huge number of daily cases in April-May during the second wave makes it even more remarkable. It became possible only because vaccine manufacturers, the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech, were able to ensure uninterrupted (निरन्तर, अप्रतिबंधित) vaccine availability even if supply was limited in the beginning. If the Serum Institute had the foresight (दूरदर्शिता, पूर्वविचार, प्रत्याशा) to begin manufacture in advance (अग्रिम रूप से, पहिले से), Bharat Biotech’s capability to quickly develop an indigenous (स्वदेशी, मूल) vaccine with the ICMR ensured that India did not have to endlessly wait for vaccine supplies from other countries. If there was hesitancy (हिचकिचाहट, संदेह, अनिच्छा) initially even among health-care workers, who were the first to be eligible to receive the vaccines, the deadly (घातक, जीवन के लिए खतरा) second wave led to a huge leap (उछाल, छलांग, कूद) in vaccine uptake (the action of taking up something (available/given)); vaccination (treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.) was opened up (make/become accessible; make/become available) to all priority groups and to everyone above 18 years before the second wave peaked in early May. India could have probably (most likely, in all likelihood, all things considered, perhaps) reached this grand milestone (critical point, significant stage, turning point) earlier had time not been wasted in asking States to procure (buy, purchase) vaccines directly from the two manufacturers at a higher cost to vaccinate (inoculate, administer, introduce (with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease)) the 18-44 age group.

While basking (take pleasure, revel, enjoy, relax (in/from something that feels so good); it also means to lie exposed to light warmth (moderate heat) of sunrise/sunset) in glory (praise, accolades, credit, acclaim), it is important not to lose sight of (pay no attention to, fail to consider, fail to be aware of, lax about, skip) the bigger goal of vaccinating all eligible adults by the year-end. Even as vaccine supply is increasing, the pace of the vaccination drive (campaign, movement, effort, push) has to be speeded up (expedite, accelerate, step up) to meet the objective (aim, goal, target). If over 75% of the eligible adults have already been vaccinated with one dose, the proportion (ratio; part) of adults who are fully vaccinated is only 31%. Since vaccination with two doses is necessary to increase the protection level, efforts should be directed at increasing the pace of second dose vaccination. China has already administered over 2.2 billion doses and fully vaccinated over 75% of the eligible population even by mid-September. Crossing the one-billion mark (a significant level/stage) became possible as India stopped the export of vaccines, impacting most low- and middle-income countries. On October 14, nearly six months after halting exports, India finally supplied vaccines to four countries; further supplies will depend on production and demand. It is imperative (vitally important, crucial, critical, essential) that vaccine production is quickly ramped up (increase (in amount or number)) to meet demand. Any more delay in meeting international obligations (duty, responsibility, commitment, necessary condition, requirement) will greatly hurt India’s credibility (trustworthiness, reliability, dependability) as a reliable (acceptable, trustworthy, dependable) vaccine supplier to the global South (the poor developing countries (of Asia, Africa, South America, amongst others)).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.vaccine (noun)

Hindi Meaning - टीका
English Meaning - a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease.

2.dose (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खुराक, मात्रा
English Meaning - an amount/quantity of something (a medicine/drug) prescribed to be taken at a specific time.

3.administer (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशासन करना, बांटना, प्रदान करना
English Meaning - dispense, provide, give, apply (a drug/vaccine).

4.outstanding (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - उत्कृष्ट, महत्वपूर्ण, उल्लेखनीय
English Meaning - significant, notable, important.

5.undertake (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आरंभ करना, शुरू होने से शुरू
English Meaning - begin, start; engage in, become involved in.

6.exercise (noun)

Hindi Meaning - व्यायाम, कार्यवाही
English Meaning - task, assignment; operation.

7.carry out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - अंजाम देना, आचरण करना, निष्पादित करना
English Meaning - conduct, perform, execute, accomplish, achieve.

8.in the midst of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के बीच में
English Meaning - in the middle of.

9.uninterrupted (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निरन्तर, अप्रतिबंधित
English Meaning - unobstructed, untroubled.

10.foresight (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दूरदर्शिता, पूर्वविचार, प्रत्याशा
English Meaning - forethought, anticipation, planning, precaution, readiness, preparedness, circumspection.

11.in advance (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अग्रिम रूप से, पहिले से
English Meaning - beforehand, earlier, previously, ahead of time.

12.indigenous (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वदेशी, मूल
English Meaning - native, original.

13.hesitancy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हिचकिचाहट, संदेह, अनिच्छा
English Meaning - reluctance, unwillingness, disinclination.

14.deadly (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घातक, जीवन के लिए खतरा
English Meaning - fatal, lethal, life-threatening.

15.leap (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उछाल, छलांग, कूद
English Meaning - (sudden/dramatic) rise, rapid increase, escalation, soaring, surge, upsurge.

16.mark (noun)

English Meaning - a significant level/stage.

17.accomplish (verb)

English Meaning - achieve, realize, attain, carry out, perform, complete.

18.vaccination (noun)

English Meaning - treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.

19.rollout (noun)

English Meaning - official launch/introduction.

20.lose sight of (phrase)

English Meaning - pay no attention to, fail to consider, fail to be aware of, lax about, skip.

21.vaccinate (verb)

English Meaning - inoculate, administer, introduce (with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease).

22.Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) (noun)

English Meaning - Immunization Programme in India was introduced in 1978 as ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization’ (EPI) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. In 1985, the programme was modified as ‘Universal Immunization Programme’ (UIP) to be implemented in a phased manner to cover all districts in the country by 1989-90 with one of the largest health programmes in the world. In India’s national Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), the policy is defined, vaccines procured and supplied by the Union government and vaccination implemented by State governments.

23.infant (noun)

English Meaning - baby, newborn, young child.

24.Oxford vaccine/Covishield (noun)

English Meaning - (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) or (AZD1222) is named Covishield in India. Serum Institute of India (SII), a biotechnology company has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University for this vaccine candidate ‘Covidshield’.

25.Covaxin (noun)

English Meaning - India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate (COVAXIN) developed by a Hyderabad-based company (Bharat Biotech) in collaboration with the ICMR (The Indian Council of Medical Research).

26.Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) (noun)

English Meaning - the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. As early as in 1911, the Government of India set up the Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) with the specific objective of sponsoring and coordinating medical research in the country. It was redesignated in 1949 as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

27.vaccine hesitancy (noun)

English Meaning - a reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or to have one’s children vaccinated; reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines.

28.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on.

29.uptake (noun)

English Meaning - the action of taking up something (available/given).

30.open up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - make/become accessible; make/become available.

31.probably (adverb)

English Meaning - most likely, in all likelihood, all things considered, perhaps.

32.milestone (noun)

English Meaning - critical point, significant stage, turning point.

33.procure (verb)

English Meaning - buy, purchase.

34.bask (in) (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - take pleasure, revel, enjoy, relax (in/from something that feels so good); it also means to lie exposed to light warmth (moderate heat) of sunrise/sunset.

35.glory (noun)

English Meaning - praise, accolades, credit, acclaim.

36.drive (noun)

English Meaning - campaign, movement, effort, push.

37.speed up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - expedite, accelerate, step up.

38.objective (noun)

English Meaning - aim, goal, target.

39.proportion (noun)

English Meaning - ratio; part.

40.imperative (adjective)

English Meaning - vitally important, crucial, critical, essential.