‘The Vial – India’s Vaccine Story’ a documentary telecasted by History Tv18 last evening has successfully and rightly narrated India’s vaccination journey bringing out the inside story on what went behind the making of India’s vaccine and the tedious and challenging task of vaccinating 1.2 billion people of India.
The 60-minute documentary was also the first ever documentary to feature Prime Minister Narendra Modi who spoke candidly about the victory of India’s vaccination drive. PM Modi in the documentary recounted the challenge he and his government faced in vaccinating a large population of one billion plus and in the far-flung areas.
“It was a huge challenge to provide a large country with a large population with vaccines from time to time. Even many prosperous countries of the world were unable to vaccinate more than 50-60% of their population” PM Modi said in the documentary.
The documentary also showcased the role of CoWin that played an important and vital role in the dissemination of the vaccine to all the people of India. PM Modi also talked about the role technology and CoWin played in achieving the remarkable feat of vaccinating a billion plus population in less than a year.
“India is the only country where a platform like CoWIN existed and people could see where they could get vaccinated, what time they had to reach the vaccination centre so as to not overcrowd the vaccination centres. The app also gave details of when to take the second shot. Technology was ably used for it.” PM Modi said.
The documentary also showcased the journey and the efforts that went into making India’s own and indigenously developed Covaxin. Director of Bharat Biotech, Dr Krishna Ella also narrated the journey of the making of Covaxin and showcased the efforts that went into delivering one of the best and efficacious vaccine in the shortest possible time.
The documentary also showcases several case studies that sheds light on the government’s efforts and determination in tackling the Covid 19 pandemic and its dedication and support in the development of the vaccine.
The documentary was narrated by renowned actor Manoj Bajpayee who in a press statement said, “India’s Covid-19 vaccine story is a remarkable accomplishment for the country, and as Indians, we all should be aware and proud of it. This film is a tribute to our healthcare professionals and frontline workers who produced the vaccines in unprecedented timelines and executed the vaccination drive, despite several challenges. They are the reason why we are stepping out of our homes confidentially today. I am honoured to be part of this documentary.”
The documentary also showcased Adar Poonawalla (CEO, Serum Institute of India); Bill Gates (co-founder of Microsoft and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation); Dr. Sumit Agarwal (Scientist, ICMR); Dr. Shamika Ravi (public policy expert); Dr Devi Shetty (Founder of Narayana Hrudayalaya); and Dr Krishna Ella (Chairman, Bharat Biotech) among others who narrated about their experiences and role in the vaccine journey.
‘The Vial’ is a History TV18 original, conceptualised and produced by Colosceum Media and directed by Arun Bali.