New Delhi: As the world waits with anticipation for the COVID-19 vaccine, Zydus Cadila Chairman Pankaj R Patel said India would have to invest between ₹3,000-5,000 crore to create additional facilities to manufacture a large number of vaccines needed for the Indian population. He also said that the vaccine alone is not the solution to the COVID-19 problem.
“… If India has to produce and deliver 130 crore doses to Indians in a year, my opinion is that India would have to invest in manufacturing facilities to the extent of about ₹3,000 to ₹Rs 5 billion to create additional capacity to make this happen, “Patel said.
These vaccines come from a very difficult platform and as a result the cost of the vaccine will be significantly higher compared to many other vaccines so it will be necessary to think about how we are going to finance this. said in a panel discussion on ‘Race for the COVID Vaccine: More than a Simple Cure’ at an AIMA event.
Emphasizing that while the vaccine will play an important role in controlling the pandemic, Patel said: “In my opinion, the vaccine alone is not the solution to the problem. We need the vaccine and we also need more treatment protocols to make sure that we are able to take care of it, because I think the way vaccine trials are currently designed globally, there is not going to be a chance of immunity in 100 percent of people. ”
Furthermore, the requirement for vaccine doses will be very high. Given the fact that almost all vaccines are going to work at least two doses, if we look at the population of India and decide to immunize 50 percent of the population, we would need more than 130 crore of doses and that is not the capacity it has. no one. Even if people have the capacity to produce, it cannot happen in one day. It can only happen over a long period, Patel said.
Another challenge we would have is “How long will immunity last with this vaccine? If the vaccine is going to give long-term immunity, it will be wonderful, but if it provides short-term immunity, then we will have to move on.” immunize people over and over again, “he added.
A vaccine is definitely needed to control the spread of this disease, but the vaccine alone is not enough, and other efforts such as social distancing, mask use, isolation and testing of people will continue to be important, Patel said. .
Speaking of the logistics of the distribution system, Patel said that the country needs to have a very strong distribution system. Due to the number of doses, “there could be challenges in providing glass vials, although I don’t see challenges in providing syringes,” he added.
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