- India, as a country is under the grip of a severe pandemic-related crisis, is stating the obvious as the second covid wave sweeps across infecting thousands of people along the way as also loss of precious lives. Whatever relief experienced in the backdrop of stalling the first covid wave at an enormous cost to the country’s economy last year appears to be at risk going by the confirmed infection rates breaching never heard before numbers. Though vaccination drive is underway, inadequate supply of the elixir of life, general apathy by the administrations concerned in a few of the states, and continued apprehension being exhibited by the eligible beneficiaries is thwarting the drive to pick up the pace.
PC: George Bailey
- Of course, the virus is immune to all these efforts marching ahead with impunity mutating into various strains and variants along the way. The government authorities will be under pressure to ensure not only the economy sustains and flourishes despite encountering challenges but also to come out with concrete plans to vaccinate all eligible beneficiaries that could considerably reduce the severity of infection as also death rates. Murmurs of inadequate supply of two vaccine candidates made available in the country are gaining ground and with palpable reason too.
- Shortage in the vaccine supply is real and it is expedient on the part of the authorities to supplement the efforts with few more vaccine candidates will be of great help. There is no way other than extending vaccine beneficiaries to receive the jab to counter the infection rates from spreading alarmingly. It is most welcome to know that India is soon expected to get its third shot with the drug regulator’s subject expert committee on Monday recommending Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for restricted emergency use. The final approval by the Drug Controller General of India is extended too as per the official sources.
PC: Reuters
- However, note that the Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy’s Labs will initially import the vaccine from Russia to supply to the government, followed by finalizing the procurement processes to ensure a steady supply, and finally local production of the same which is expected only by June-July. As the country battles to avoid blunt instruments like lockdowns, the availability of more vaccine shields should be counted as a boon. Another way to ensure disastrous moves like lockdowns could be avoided altogether is to scale up the vaccine production in the two local vaccines vis-à-vis Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, respectively.
- There is no reason why the production capabilities of these two cannot be increased substantially. If required, the Union Government should facilitate extending financial assistance to these firms helping in ramping up vaccine production on a war footing incommensurate with the huge population density of the nation. Make no mistake, harried citizens would like to move on from the consistent challenges posed by the pandemic and for good. More vaccines should help in realizing the same.
