VACCINE FOR CORONA VIRUS: WHEN AND WHO WILL RECEIVE THE VACCINE FIRST IN INDIA? - UPDATED DETAILS

Three vaccines are currently under trials in India. Two of the indigenously developed vaccines are in different stage of clinical trials while the Oxford’s vaccine is currently in the final phase of clinical trials. Given these recent developments, experts have been revealing when the vaccine can be expect and who are likely to receive them first.

Yesterday it was rumoured that the Serum Insititue of India will make the vaccine available in 75 days or so. However, SII clarified and restated that the distribution of the vaccine will only begin after the vaccine completes the final phase of trials successfully. Despite their statement, the central government strongly believes that one of the tree potential candidates in India will be ready for distribution by the end of 2020.

This optimistic thinking has provided a sigh of relief. “I hope that if everything goes well, India will get a coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year,” said Harsh Vardhan, the Union Health Minister, last week.

As far as the question of “who will receive the vaccine first?” goes, experts have different opinions. Some reports suggest that the government is planning on immunising the front line workers, army personnel and certain others initially. This is an approach which is similar to the course of action that Russia has undertaken. However, certain experts are of the opinion that the first ones must be administered to the most vulnerable category of people. That is, those who fall under the high-risk categories, in order to ensure that more valuable lives are not lost in this battle.

Speaking of distributing vaccines in India, Dr Gangadeep Mang, Former Chairman of ICMR said, "It takes time to make a vaccine and the reason why vaccine manufacturers are now trying to buy facilities, book time at the manufacturing facilities, is because they want to be able to make the vaccine even before it is proven safe and effective...That is the fastest way to get to the market but the whole process of regulation takes time. It will take time to review the dossiers, it will take time to get the vaccine licensed, and once the vaccine is licensed we have to think about the logistics of distribution… You need something that fits in with your cold chain infrastructure, you need to be able to buy the vaccine, you need to land the vaccine, you need to distribute the vaccine, you need to train staff in how to give the vaccine."