On the Covid-19 vaccine hunt
PM Modi did well to encourage developers. The next step must be a concrete plan
The month of November gave the strongest indication yet that vaccines for coronavirus work, shifting the focus to the next big task — manufacturing, procuring and distributing doses around the world. The challenge is particularly acute for India and its over 1.3 billion people. Over the weekend and on Monday, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi began meeting some of the developers in an effort to motivate the thousands of scientists and staff who have worked relentlessly through the pandemic. While these frontline experts are aware of the responsibility that rests on their shoulders, the PM’s visits and meetings have helped serve as a signal of the faith of the people and support of the government.
Earlier, at a meeting with chief ministers, Mr Modi had indicated that the Union government was following vaccine development closely and suggested that the country must take into account all scientific processes before decisions are made — an approach that appears to balance the risks that may still be out there and the urgency to move quickly. The need for this was underlined by the controversy surrounding the trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in India by Serum Institute of India (SII), where a volunteer said the vaccine caused adverse effects. While SII said the neurological conditions developed by the volunteer was unrelated (and that it will sue the person for damages), authorities have opened an investigation. Such problems are not uncommon, but they have the potential to undermine people’s faith in a way that could prolong India’s path to herd immunity.
Apart from trust, a lot will ride on procurement and distribution. The government needs to back its signals on intent with tangible action on these processes. The most watched among these would be a direct sourcing deal, which India does not have yet. Next would be the crucial question of mobilising funding. While it is true that the country must wait for scientific data to make any commitments, the government should identify and communicate timelines and deadlines of when it will finalise crucial aspects once it has the necessary information to act. These details will help offer motivation to a weary population to soldier on with precautions, but will also lift economic sentiment, especially at a time when the costs of Covid-19 threaten to become more visible again as economic gains due to pent-up demand and festive season business fade.