IMMUNISATION AGAINST COVID TOUGH TASK: DOC

Hyderabad, Nov. 22: Immunisation against Covid

19 involves several challenges, including logistics and supply chains for distribution of the vaccine. Till that is done, there cannot be any lowering of guard on Coronavirus prevention measures, an expert has said.

While the government would do its job on procurement and distribution of the vaccine, the focus should be on keeping the virus spread under check, said Dr Rakesh Mishra, director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).

Besides production, the other challenges for the Covid

19 vaccine distribution were logistics and supply.

He pointed out that there is no adult vaccination programme, except the one where tetanus shots are given to pregnant women. Even immunisation of children had its share of difficulties with many people not vaccinating, he said.

Most Covid-19 vaccines may require at least two doses, possibly the second one to be administered after a certain number of days. This increases difficulties in logistics and supply, Dr Mishra said.

The vaccines of some companies need to be stored at

minus-70º degree cold chain which would be tough to arrange beyond major cities, Mishra said.

In addition, a major concern was that it would not be known till two or three years whether a vaccine was really good or not for long term protection. Dr Mishra said the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research was in the process of developing a proof of concept for a vaccine candidate for Covid-19 to be handed over to Aurobindo Pharma for further process if it shows initial promise. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is aiming to reach “some conclusion” in the endeavour in about three months, Dr Mishra said.