Advice to states to get nod before sharing vaccine stock data to prevent misuse: Govt

The Health Ministry on Thursday said its advisory to states to obtain permission before sharing eVIN data on vaccine stocks and temperature of storage is to prevent any misuse of this information by various agencies for commercial purposes.

The ministry, however, said that the data on Covid-19 vaccine stocks, their consumption, and balance is reflected on the CoWin platform, and it is also regularly shared by the Health Ministry through weekly press conferences and daily media releases.

The ministry issued a clarification in the backdrop of circular issued to the states and UTs, advising them not to share data of the Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) system on vaccine stocks and the temperature of vaccine storage at public forums without prior consent. The ministry said it is “sensitive information” that is to be “used only for programme improvement”.

“The Health Ministry’s letter to the states and UTs in focus was intended to prevent the use of such sensitive data for unauthorised commercial purposes,” the ministry said in the statement. “The crucial information related to specific vaccine usage trends for multiple vaccines used in Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), and temperature related data in respect to each such vaccine, can be used to manipulate the market as well as associated research with respect to various vaccines and cold chain equipment…”

It said in the statement, “It is important to note that the Union Health Ministry is using the eVIN electronic platform for all vaccines used under UIP for more than six years now. Sharing of sensitive E-VIN data on stocks and storage, temperature requires the Health Ministry’s prior consent.”