Safety protocols priority for 2021

“We are nowhere close to herd immunity; and for the rest of 2021, safety protocols and vaccination must be a priority” stated Dr Soumya Swaminathan, deputy director general for programmes of World Health Organisation at the BioAsia 2021 event.

In a virtual conference with scientists, government officials and manufacturers of vaccines, it was noted that the different variants or mutations of SARS-Cov-2 virus remained a serious concern.

There is also a concern whether the vaccine will work against these new mutant strains. With the cases in Maharashtra and Kerala rising, there is again the fear of lockdowns and a nationwide spurt in infections.

“People are tired and worried because of the new strains. But it is important that they follow the safety protocols and also trust the vaccine.

Vaccines are safe and the hesitancy must go. WHO is communicating to people about the safety of vaccines. If we have to fight the new strains, there is the need for us to trust science and move forward,” Swaminathan said.

At present, 10 major institutes in India are carrying out genome sequencing. “So far, only the samples from international travellers were collected. Now samples from the new clusters in Maharashtra and Kerala are also being collected,” explained Dr Nivideta Gupta, senior scientist at Indian Council of Medical Research.

New variants of the virus posed a challenge as they will not make the medicines and therapeutics work. Some of them are emerging stronger as they were being suppressed by medicines. Initial data is also showing specific mutations in clusters, leading to a viral escape from the body.

While all variants are not virulent, those in this category need to be isolated, say scientists.

There are 10 vaccines already. While India has approved two vaccines for emergency use authorizations, there are others in the pipeline. More vaccines would be approved for emergency use to ensure that there is maximum protection to people.