Here is a look at the vaccination campaign in India and around the world in 5 charts:
Rich nations grab most of the vaccine supply
While the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in the UK has brought a lot of joy to the world, people in poor countries may not be so lucky.
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Rich nations, which make up just 14 percent of the world’s population, have purchased up to 53 percent of all the most promising vaccines so far, according to the People’s Vaccine Alliance, a coalition that includes organizations like Oxfam, Amnesty International and Global Justice. .
Canada tops the list with enough vaccines to vaccinate every Canadian multiple times. While Oxford / AstraZeneca has committed to providing 64 percent of its doses to people in developing countries, they will only manage to reach 18 percent of the world’s population by next year, the PVA said. The Oxford / AstraZeneca agreements are mainly with some of the big developing countries like China and India.
India # 1 in vaccine deals
India, which is the second worst affected nation after the United States, is carrying out a mass vaccination campaign to ensure the vaccine for millions of people across the country. As on November 30, India led the world in the number of “confirmed doses of Covid-19 vaccine” for which orders have been placed, having “entered into contracts to obtain 1.6 billion doses.”
India has partnered with several domestic and foreign manufacturers to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines in the coming months. Earlier this week, the Union Health Ministry gave an overview of the vaccine landscape in India, saying that eight candidates are in various stages of testing in the country and are in contention for an emergency approval in the future.
Among these are the two indigenous leaders: Covishield, which is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India in collaboration with AstraZeneca, and Covaxin, which is being developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Getting ready for mass vaccination campaign
With a Covid vaccine in sight, the country has already begun preparing for a mass vaccination campaign. The government is in the process of identifying 30 million people to be vaccinated with priority, which includes nearly 1 million healthcare workers and 2 million front-line workers.
Additionally, the Center has also identified thousands of cold storage units across the country and placed orders for millions of syringes as part of its mass inoculation program.
Pfizer emerges as a world leader
With leading vaccine candidates reporting end-stage trial data, US-based Pfizer has become the pioneer in the global vaccine race and won a march on AstraZeneca-Oxford candidate based in the UK. Pfizer had announced that its vaccine is 95% effective and the UK recently became the first country to approve it for emergency use.
AstraZeneca, once considered the most promising vaccine candidate, has faced some obstacles along the way to immunize the world after a lack of information in its initial announcement last month.
The UK-based Covid vaccine is 90% effective in a small group that received half the dose first, but only 62% in the majority, a Lancet study confirmed this week. The study said more research is needed to confirm whether the vaccine can be up to 90% effective.
Meanwhile, India’s drug regulator has also asked Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII), which have applied for an Emergency Use Authorization (USA) for their anti-Covid vaccines, to submit updated safety data. and immunogenicity from ongoing phase 3 trials. In India.
The subject matter expert committee (SEC) on the subject had invited the three applicants, SII, Bharat Biotech and Pfizer, to make presentations on their applications seeking the US for their candidate vaccines. However, requests from only Bharat Biotech and SII were considered on Wednesday, as Pfizer sought more time to make presentations.
(With inputs from agencies)
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