The wait for the Covid-19 vaccine may be longer for the young population in good health, said World Health Organization chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan at a WHO social media event. . “Most people agree, it’s starting with healthcare workers and front-line workers, but even there, you need to define which of them are most at risk, and then the elderly, etc.
“There will be a lot of counseling, but I think the average person, a healthy young person, might have to wait until 2022 to get a vaccine,” he added.
Also read: The government establishes a plan for the storage of the Covid-19 vaccine
The question of which demographics will be prioritized after an effective vaccine is approved is as debatable as when the wait for a vaccine will finally end.
By addressing both questions, the WHO chief scientist said by 2021, there will be at least one safe and effective vaccine. But it will be available in “limited quantities” and therefore priority will be given to vulnerable people.
“People tend to think that on the first of January or the first of April I will get the vaccine and then things will go back to normal. It is not going to work like that,” Swaminathan said.
Countries like China and Russia that have been administering their population with vaccine injections are also following the pattern of prioritizing vaccines. Reports say China vaccinated its military in July and is now immunizing government officials, store personnel as well as health professionals. It is also considering vaccinating students who are heading abroad to study. Russia prioritized journalists in vaccinating, in addition to front-line health workers.
In India, a high-level committee will chart the prioritization process. “The prioritization of the groups to be vaccinated will be based on key considerations such as occupational hazards, risk of exposure to infection, general health, etc.,” Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said recently. States have been asked to submit lists of priority population groups that need to be vaccinated first: doctors, nurses, health personnel, ASHA workers, surveillance officers, etc. from the public and private sectors.
.
