Indian Vaccine for COVID-19 possible Before August 15? - WHO

150 Covid-19 vaccines are being tested from around the world since the inception of the pandemic. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) had previously reported that a vaccine can’t be expected anytime soon, the organisation has now rather become optimistic.

Sowmya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at WHO has said that at least one among the 150 vaccines under trial, will be ready by 2021. “We can be optimistic that there will be one or more safe and efficacious vaccines by next year,” she said in an interview. She also mentioned that WHO has already started discussing with countries on a proper framework for distributing the vaccine “fairly.”

Among the 150 vaccines the one developed in the United Kingdom’s Oxford University is in its most advanced stage. Its stage three trial is recently beginning in Brazil and South Africa as well.

India’s own vaccine development efforts are on-going as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that a vaccine candidate will be ready by August 15. This way a six week period is also available for clinical trials. Commenting on the deadline that ICMR has given. Swaminathan said, “Trials take time and must be conducted according to well-established regulatory process.”

Vaccine trials undergo three stages. While the first two are easy to steer through, the third stage is rather the most time consuming. It has also been confirmed that some vaccines may be effective for some age groups or for one type of the population rather than for all.

“Remdesivir seems to reduce the duration of hospitalization, but its impact on lowering mortality is yet to be established. The efficacy of Favipiravir has also not been established, and, furthermore, it can be teratogenic (may cause birth defects) and must be used with caution,” she said while commenting on the existing treatment for Covid positive, and hospitalised patients.