Amid rising coronavirus cases in the country, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Dr Randeep Guleria on Thursday said that Covid-19 vaccines are in their final trial stage India.
Coronavirus vaccine should get emergency use authorization (EUA) from Indian regulatory authorities for vaccination by the end of December or early January, said AIIMS Delhi-Director Dr. Randeep Guleria, according to an ANI report.
Speaking about the availability of Covid-19 vaccine to everyone, Guleria said that in the beginning, Covid-19 vaccine will not be available in sufficient doses to be given to everyone. “We need a priority list to see that we vaccinate those who’ve high chances of dying due to Covid. Elderly, people with comorbidities and front line workers should be vaccinated first,” he added.
In beginning, vaccine won't be available in sufficient doses to give to everyone. We need a priority list to see that we vaccinate those who've high chances of dying due to Covid. Elderly, people with comorbidities & front line workers should be vaccinated 1st: Dr Randeep Guleria https://t.co/HC1KyI3BTL pic.twitter.com/rRkP6C78Gv
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2020
The AIIMS Director also said that there are good data available that the vaccines are very safe. “Safety & efficacy of vaccine will not not be compromised at all. 70,000-80,000 volunteers have been given the vaccine. No significant serious adverse effects has been reported so far. Data shows that in the short term vaccine is safe,” news agency ANI quoted Guleria as saying.
Guleria’s statement came a day after the United Kingdom (UK) had become the first country in the world to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for mass-vaccination.
Responding to the vaccine impact during the Chennai trial, the AIIMS director said the Chennai trial case is an incidental finding rather than related to the vaccine.
“When we vaccinate a large number of people, some of them may have some other disease, which may not be related to the vaccine,” he added.
On vaccine distribution, Dr Guleria said, “Work is going on at war-footing both at the Centre and the state level for vaccine distribution plan in terms of maintaining the cold chain, having appropriate storehouses available, developing strategy, training vaccinators and availability of syringes.
Speaking about the ongoing Covid-19 wave in the country, he said, “Now, we’ve seen a decline in current wave, and I hope this will continue if we are able to have a good Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. We’re close to having a big change related to a pandemic if we manage this behaviour for the next three months.”
Once booster dose is given, vaccine will give good amount of anti-body production & will start giving protection. This will last for many months giving protection for a significant time when numbers will be less. We need to see type of immunity vaccine gives: Dr Randeep Guleria https://t.co/PnQOzw8qu0 pic.twitter.com/xgTpSDRvY5
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2020
Further in his address, the AIIMS Director also stated that once the booster dose is given, the vaccine will give a good amount of anti-body production.
