No coronavirus vaccine for common people till 2022, Covid won’t vanish, says AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria
AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria has said that common people in India will have to wait for another year to get vaccinated, while reminding that the coronavirus infection “will not vanish” with vaccination.
AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria, also a member of the national task force on the coronavirus management in the country, has said that common people will have to wait till 2022 for a shot of the coronavirus vaccine. The AIIMS director said it will take “more than a year” for a coronavirus vaccine to be easily available in the Indian markets.
In an interview with News Agency, Randeep Guleria said for normal people, it will take “more than a year”. “In our country the population is large; we need time to see how the vaccine can be bought from the market like a flu vaccine and take it. That will actually be the ideal situation,” Randeep Guleria said.
When asked about the challenges India would have after a coronavirus vaccine is available, the AIIMS director said the prime focus would be its distribution so that it reaches every part of the country. “Maintaining the cold chain, having adequate syringes, adequate needles and being able to deliver it to the remotest part of the country in a seamless manner is the biggest challenge,” he said.
The second challenge, Dr Randeep Guleria said, would be to figure out the positioning of another vaccine that comes out later and is seen as more effective than the first one.
“So if we have a vaccine that comes out later and is seen to be more effective than the first one, how do we position it? How do we do a course correction? How to then decide who needs vaccine A and who needs vaccine B? A lot of decisions need to be taken as we go along,” AIIMS director said.
Randeep Guleria also asserted that the coronavirus infection “will not vanish” with vaccination.
INDIA TO HELP COUNTRIES IN VACCINE PRODUCTION, DELIVERY: FS SHRINGLA TO DIPLOMATS
India on Friday conveyed to several countries that it will use its strength in vaccine production and delivery to help humanity in fighting the coronavirus crisis.
The message was delivered by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla during a briefing organized for more than 190 heads of diplomatic missions and international organisations and their representatives.
“Several countries have been approaching us for receiving vaccine supply. I reiterate our Prime Minister’s commitment that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis.
India will also help interested countries in enhancing their cold chain and storage capacities for the delivery of vaccines,” Shringla said.
