Covid-19: Vaccine Development

What is the issue?

• The development of vaccine for the Covid-19 is a need of the time.
• However, the governments should continue with routine immunisation as well as robust health measures for Covid-19.

How far are we from developing a COVID-19 vaccine?

• Developing vaccines is a time-consuming and resource intensive process.
• It takes up to 10-15 years from the discovery of a novel way to produce a vaccine to the licensure of a vaccine for commercial use.
• There are unprecedented levels of data sharing and global collaboration for the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
• Therefore, with a full push, a coronavirus vaccine (at least an investigational one) can be developed within 18 months to 2 years.

Will discovering a vaccine end the Covid-19 fight?

• With more than 100 candidate vaccines already in development, the response from the scientific community and industry is unprecedented.
• But, vaccine development on its own isn’t enough.
• There is no global system to oversee the allocation of vaccine supply.
• Many countries with the capacity to manufacture at the required scale will face pressure to supply them first to their own population.
• Before a vaccine is developed, global access agreements are needed.

• There will need to be some type of agreement on priority use.
• The health workers should probably be the most important, followed by high risk and finally, the general population.

Will the Covid-19 fight disrupt routine immunisation programmes?

• The Covid-19 outbreak is a reminder that infectious diseases know no borders.
• The importance of preparedness and early detection cannot be overemphasized.
• Investing in strong primary healthcare and immunisation systems is the first line of defence against threats to global health security.
• The number of people missing out vaccines is likely to rise substantially.

How can countries mitigate such risks?

• The governments should continue with their routine immunisation as well as robust public health measures for Covid-19.
• Without routine immunisation, the outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases will overwhelm the health system on top of Covid-19 challenge.
• Strong routine immunisation ensures people are protected against the spread of infectious disease.
• Beyond routine immunisation, procuring emergency stockpiles are an important aspect of global epidemic preparedness.
• These stockpiles are a last-resort insurance policy that guarantees vaccines will always be available for rapid delivery when needed.

Source: The Indian Express