Two groups will present the results of the trials in late December or January, and depending on the results, the regulatory body should be able to approve them, says Dr. Guleria.
India May Be Considering Making COVID-19 Vaccine Available Starting In January, Says Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Randeep Guleria, while saying that what matters most is safety and efficiency and not being the first to get off the block.
Britain approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for use on a large scale. How close is India to having its own vaccine rollout?
Two vaccines in India are in their third phase of testing and we hope that by January we can obtain authorization for emergency use. The two groups will present the results of their trials later this month or next month and then depending on the results, the regulatory body should be able to clarify this. Vaccine manufacturing is not about being the first off the block – the safety and efficacy of the vaccine that will be delivered to a large healthy population is the primary concern. Also, we look forward to these vaccines (made in India) because they are more suitable for use in the Indian climate and will be more readily available.
After the alleged adverse reaction to the vaccine incident in Chennai, should the IBS trial have stopped?
The trials would have been stopped if regulators had found any direct relationship between the vaccine and the volunteer’s medical condition. It is not something that has not been done before. We have also seen COVID-19 vaccine trials stopped before. There are established protocols around the world when it comes to testing drugs and vaccines and there are enough controls and guards in the country for any adverse action.
In the US, Italy and France, there is a renewed rebound. While India is experiencing a decline in caseload, can we be sure that the worst is through or is it possible that we are simply on a downward curve?
There are clear signs that India is experiencing a downward curve. But this in no way means that we become lax in any way. With vaccines just around the corner, now is the time to more aggressively adhere to appropriate COVID behavior. We shouldn’t have any more deaths now. During the winter months, respiratory illnesses tend to be more widespread and the spikes in cases in Europe and the US have shown that we must keep our guard up.
With a vaccine now expected to be widely available in India soon and assuming greater than 70% efficacy, can we expect to be maskless in the second half of the year?
Pandemic behaviors as we know them now are related to human behavior. We can spread this through poor hygiene and breathing habits. Wearing a mask protects us from a variety of diseases and is a safety protection against air pollution. We have seen that discipline and proper COVID behavior have ensured that places like Vietnam and Taiwan did not see the spikes that were witnessed in other parts of the world. India has to remain vigilant and ensure that we are disciplined despite the COVID-19 fatigue that seems to have set in.
Why is the pandemic continuing in India despite one of the longest lockdowns in the world? And how is it that China, with a population larger than India, has contained it?
There are several problems with China here. First, the data here is not clear and the application of various norms and rules is not done in the same way as in India and Europe. In these places the cooperation of people is sought and no rules are imposed on them. So these things make a difference.
Are we likely to reach a situation where closures, at least at the state or district level, will have to be re-imposed? Do there seem to be suggestions of a closure in Delhi?
No, large-scale confinement cannot be the answer. I think we should go for aggressive testing, tracking and monitoring and create buffer zones. Large-scale locks have an adverse impact on the sustenance of daily bets and several others. We have to use the testing infrastructure and make sure that people isolate themselves and follow proper behavior.
India has significantly increased testing capacity. However, with nearly half of the rapid antigen variety testing and most testing centers in urban locations, do you think significant numbers of cases are still being lost, especially in rural areas of India?
India has stepped up testing so that it is now available in primary health care centers. So while there may be variations, general tests are now available to everyone. Aggressive testing is one of the cornerstones in defeating this pandemic.
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