Covid-19 fighters, high risk persons to get vaccine first

Who will get the Covid-19 vaccine first? This is the question in medical circles as frontline workers insist that they must be the first ones to be provided the vaccine as they are in the highest risk zone.

With the vaccine development to be completed, and there being a possibility of availability soon, it is clear that priority must be given for those who are in high risk zones.

A scramble for the vaccine is anticipated and there will be influential people and also black marketeers who will exploit the situation.

Like the injections of Remdesivir, there is also a possibility of the marketing of vaccines at exorbitant prices by private players. VVIPs or affluent people might be able to

The Centre must set up a Covid-19 vaccine distribution ethical committee, which should distribute the vaccine among the public through proper channels. It must be first given to frontline healthcare professionals. —

TS Pharmacy Council

procure the vaccine at the earliest which will create problems.

Experts urge that vaccines must be sold on a noprofit-no-loss basis as it is important that everyone must avail it.

According to sources, there is a lot of hope on indigenous vaccine development. There are nine vaccine candidates in late stages of trials according to the World Health Organisation and one candidate is going to be successful.

Sanjay Reddy, member of Telangana state pharmacy council and pharmacologist, said, “The Centre must set up a Covid-19 vaccine distribution ethical committee, which should distribute the vaccine among the public through proper channels. It must be first given to frontline healthcare professionals. The vaccine must also be prioritised for those rural and urban areas where the infection rate is high.”

In the initial phases, there is bound to be scarcity of vaccines as access to crores of people is not possible. Dr Sudhir Kumar, senior consultant neurologist at institute of neurosciences, Apollo hospitals said, “We have to ensure that the most vulnerable and high risk groups get access to vaccines first. Frontline workers and immune compromised patients and the elderly must get it first.”