Lok Sabha Question No. 686 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-04
Subject: INSACOG
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sukanta Majumdar, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Nama Nageswara Rao, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Bhola Singh, Rajveer (Raju Bhaiya) Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.686 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04 TH  FEBRUARY, 2022

## INSACOG

## 686. SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

SHRI NAMA NAGESWARA RAO:

DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

SHRI RAJVEER SINGH (RAJU BHAIYA):

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Omicron variant, termed as worst variant, is more pathogenic and can break through vaccine protection, if so, the details including the number of adults who have not received even a single dose;
- (b) whether the Government has set up 28-lab consortium-INSACOG to monitor genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2, if so, the findings and recommendations thereof including current status of monitoring and tracking the new variant in the country;
- (c) the details of Omicron cases reported in the country as on date;
- (d) whether the Government has commenced giving the booster shots of COVID-19 vaccine amid rising number of Omicron cases in the country, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Co-Win App has made provisions for recording of booster shot including editing/ modification in data/records and if so, the details thereof and steps taken thereon?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a) Omicron  variant  is  designated  by  WHO  as  a  variant  of  concern,  on  the  advice  of  WHO's Technical  Advisory  Group  on  Virus  Evolution  (TAG-VE).  This  decision  was  based  on  the  evidence presented  to  the  TAG-VE  that  Omicron  has  several  mutations  that  may  have  an  impact  on  how  it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. While there is limited

available  data  and  no  peer-reviewed  evidence  on  vaccine  efficacy  or  effectiveness  for  Omicron, Omicron variant is expected to have increased ability to evade immunity as compared to prior variants, causing re-infections in those who have had a previous infection and in those who have been vaccinated. However, vaccine protection occurs through antibodies as well as through cellular immunity, which is expected to be relatively better preserved. Hence vaccines are expected to offer protection against severe disease and vaccination with the available vaccines remains crucial. Based on the population estimates from Registrar General of India (RGI), 89.63 Crore adult population (95.5%) has received a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine as on 02.02.2022.

(b)  &(c) The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), jointly initiated by the Health Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with Council for Scientific and  Industrial  Research  (CSIR) and  Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is a  consortium of laboratories to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2. Initially, 10 labs and now with the addition  of  government  and  private  labs,  the  consortium  has  52  laboratories.  Omicron  variant  is  the dominant variant in the country, presently. The details of Covid-19 cases given in Annexure.

(d) Since 3 rd January, 2022 COVID-19 vaccination has been initiated for the age-group 15-18 years and  provision  has  also  been  made  for  administration  of  precautionary  3 rd dose  for  the  healthcare workers,  frontline  workers  and  people  above  60  years  of  age  with  co-morbidities  since  10 th January, 2022, COVID-19 vaccine is made available free of cost for all citizens of the country aged 15 years and above,  irrespective  of  their  socio-economic  status  at  all  Government  COVID-19  Vaccination  Centres (CVCs).

(e) The Co-WIN Portal has made necessary provisions to record Precaution Dose administered to eligible  due  beneficiary.  Also  provisions  for  data  editing/modification  are  available  on  Co-WIN  like spell corrections in name, corrections of age, gender, Photo ID Card Number.

## State/UT wise details of COVID cases (as on 31

Annexure st January 2022)

|   S.No. | State/UT                                 |   COVID Cases Cumulative (Including Foreigners) |
|---------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Maharashtra                              |                                         7705969 |
|       2 | Rajasthan                                |                                         1200052 |
|       3 | West Bengal                              |                                         1993606 |
|       4 | Karnataka                                |                                         3785295 |
|       5 | Delhi                                    |                                         1827489 |
|       6 | Tamil Nadu                               |                                         3325940 |
|       7 | Kerala                                   |                                         5983515 |
|       8 | Telangana                                |                                          761050 |
|       9 | Andhra Pradesh                           |                                         2270491 |
|      10 | Uttar Pradesh                            |                                         2013323 |
|      11 | Haryana                                  |                                          945969 |
|      12 | Madhya Pradesh                           |                                          959439 |
|      13 | Gujarat                                  |                                         1153980 |
|      14 | Odisha                                   |                                         1245911 |
|      15 | Meghalaya                                |                                           90884 |
|      16 | Uttarakhand                              |                                          420188 |
|      17 | Jammu and Kashmir(UT)                    |                                          432875 |
|      18 | Bihar                                    |                                          823053 |
|      19 | Jharkhand                                |                                          427912 |
|      20 | Punjab                                   |                                          741185 |
|      21 | Chhattisgarh                             |                                         1123170 |
|      22 | Ladakh                                   |                                           25896 |
|      23 | Goa                                      |                                          238406 |
|      24 | Himachal Pradesh                         |                                          270078 |
|      25 | Chandigarh                               |                                           89144 |
|      26 | Assam                                    |                                          714595 |
|      27 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands              |                                            9777 |
|      28 | Puducherry                               |                                          160747 |
|      29 | Manipur                                  |                                          132910 |
|      30 | Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |                                           11301 |
|      31 | Lakshadweep                              |                                           11056 |
|      32 | Nagaland                                 |                                           34341 |
|      33 | Sikkim                                   |                                           38099 |
|      34 | Arunachal Pradesh                        |                                           62082 |
|      35 | Tripura                                  |                                          100221 |
|      36 | Mizoram                                  |                                          172491 |

*****