Very often it is said and also observed that noble ventures in India, particularly the ones having serious public importance are not without doses of ‘flutters’. The same thing is happening in the case of indigenous vaccine making, which has caused a tremendous amount of excitement among common people as well as the scientific community in the country. The apex medical research body of the country, the ICMR on Friday announced that coming August 15 will be the deadline when India and the world will be getting the first Covid-19 vaccine. This has created waves of disbelief in the medical fraternity and the uniform reaction has been- “it’s too unrealistic, over-ambitious and undoable.” The matter hasn’t been restricted to the zone of astonishment alone and has got a mix of controversy too as ICMR’s directive to the 12 institutes where human trials are to be conducted, carries a caveat that failure in reaching the August 15th target will invite a “serious viewing.” It is obvious that a good amount of political dividend can be extracted if the project ultimately becomes successful. But what has flabbergasted the medical experts and vaccine researchers is the haste that has been purposely induced in the process which hints towards yet another instance of politics overshadowing the principle of rationality.
It needs no retelling how much hype has been generated since the news hit the headlines that India might be the first to ‘gift’ the world the much-sought-after vaccine. So far from the news that had flowed and are available on  public domain, it was almost clear that with whatsoever speed things are pursued, it is definitely not before 2021 beginning for the vaccine to be available in the next-door-pharmacy. But after ICMR’s directive, it means that all the vital processes in the run-up to the real happening i.e. making the vaccine for mass use, involving the highly-important series of meticulous and delicate clinical trials will have to be compressed within a time that is not only unmanageable in a general sense, but also nearly impossible in the context of the science of vaccine making. This ‘imposed’ fast tracking of the entire procedure, particularly the human trial aspects will create every chance of a compromise with safety, efficacy and quality of the vaccine, the tone of immediate stakeholders is easy to read.
Since the concept of vaccine as an epidemic or pandemic combat tool entered the medical science world, the unanimity is that it is a time consuming process and nothing comprehensively medically beneficial can’t be conjured up overnight. But sadly, this is now being officially attempted.
A serious thought is needed and since it concerns the health future of millions in India and beyond, the deadline should be changed to a more realistic one.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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