'Don't pin hopes on a Coronavirus vaccine alone': Healthcare professionals raise concerns over vaccine development

India recently recorded a global record high in the daily COVID-19 infections, nearing the 80,000 mark. While the country is the third-worst affected nation by the pandemic, experts worry that India's case trajectory is much worse and alarming than other nations. In between all of this, promising medical research is being done by medical officials and scientists. Work on homegrown vaccines is also being done in a speedy manner, with authorities promising a vaccine for the masses before the end of 2020.

Not only does the short timeline mean the work on vaccines will have to be accelerated (which isn't good news), but doctors also feel that the deadline is too ambitious and brings across safety concerns. Some also feel that the first vaccine to fight the pandemic won't be the best one either. In light of this, eminent health professionals have written to the government to not be 'too optimistic' about a COVID-19 vaccine rooting away our problems.

A statement issued by a group of doctors belonging to the Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM), and Indian Association of Epidemiologists (IAE) has written to PM Modi, asserting that vaccines won't be any kind of magical panacea for India. Excerpts from the jointly issued statement read:

"Vaccines do not have any role in current ongoing coronavirus pandemic control in India. It must be assumed that an effective vaccine would not be available in the near future. We must avoid a false sense of hope that this panacea is just around the corner."

The statement comes after the country's health minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the pandemic will be brought under control in the next couple of months, fueling hopes that we might have an Indian vaccine soon enough.

PM Modi, too, in his Independence Day speech, announced that vaccine trials are at an advanced stage, much like the global competitors. As many as 3 vaccine trials- Covaxin, ZyCOV-D and Covishield (Oxford University- AstraZeneca vaccine trials conducted by Serum Institute of India) are happening in India.

Apart from this, there are also talks said to be happening with officials from Russia Development Investment Fund or RDIF, who is in charge of producing and marketing Russia's COVID vaccine, Sputnik V globally. Early reports suggested that if the vaccine, which has been successfully registered for use is found to be safe, ICMR could consider granting emergency authorisation for vaccine delivery in India.

India's position as a global vaccine producer could also see public inoculation happening fast. Talks of vaccine diplomacy are also being considered at a strategic level.

Further to the statement, the group added that the emphasis on having a safe and effective vaccine ready, and not the fastest one available. They also said that allocation and distribution should be kept in line with WHO's rules- making priority access available for frontline warriors, high-risk patients and elderlies.

"Vaccines with proven efficacy and safety, as and when available, should be administered according to the WHO's 'strategic allocation' approach or a multi-tiered risk-based approach."

As cases continue to soar across India, the medical alliance also suggested that authorities look for other public health measures, and not just lockdowns. There were also suggested measures for the graded reopening of public places, schools, colleges including facility care for cluster cases, surveillance, adequate testing and a stronger approach to rooting away the pandemic at the rural level.

Officials also said that the public apart from the government officials should take part in adopting stringent measures to control the pandemic. Keeping a cautious eye for early symptoms, getting medical advice, not delaying testing could be ways to keep the pandemic from spreading in an alarming manner.

Even though India boasts of a good recovery rate, experts suggested that the focus should be on preventing deaths happening due to COVID-19 and not just containing the infection. This has been suggested by the WHO as well, in its recent briefings.