It’s time to wake up!
I was reading a report recently published by Statista on the countries dominating COVID-19 vaccine production. While it gave an instant sense of hope that help is on our way to save the world from the clutches of this deadly infection, it also made me probe deeper to understand if the speed of vaccine production and execution of inoculation programs are going hand in hand.
As per the report, China continues to lead the world in vaccine production with its one and only vaccine, CoronaVac produced by Beijing based Biopharmaceutical company. Second in line is USA with two vaccines — one from Pfizer, and the other from Moderna.
Fourth in the order is India. The Indian regulatory authorities have approved two vaccines; Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India, an Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine, and Covaxin, an indigenous Atmanirbhar vaccine from Bharat Biotech.
While India produced only 42.4 million doses, the production volumes have seen a quantum jump over the months. As per Govt. reports in early April 2021, Serum Institute alone has assured production of 70–100 million doses per month. Does that sound promising? Depends on how one assesses the situation.
While producing vaccines is one part of the activity towards the fight against COVID, the most critical part of winning the battle is how the vaccine is distributed and administered, in short, how the vaccine program is executed.
As of date, only Israel and USA have been ahead of the race when it comes to having a well-oiled execution plan in place. By March 15, 50% of Israel’s population had been fully vaccinated, and 60% of the remaining had their first dose administered.
Around the same time, USA had reached a mark of 2 million jabs per day. It is estimated that by early June 2021, 50% of the US population will be vaccinated.
India on the other hand has vaccinated around 111 million people, which is approximately 8% of the population. India is currently caught in a bind. Firstly, despite vaccine production seeing a sharp rise, there is still a considerable vaccine shortage. Secondly, a good percentage of Indians are unwilling to get the jab. Uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of the vaccines is posing a question mark in their minds.
The second wave of COVID has hit, this time in a more infectious avatar. Many Indian states are contemplating various restrictions -lockdowns, night curfews, a ban on non-essential activities, etc. But none of these will help until and unless every Indian realizes the seriousness of COVID and follow appropriate behaviors.
Just as a reminder -
· Remember to Wear an effective mask and Wear it properly covering your Nose and Mouth
· Practice hygiene– Sanitize or Wash your hands regularly
· Maintain Social Distancing
· Avoid Crowds and Crowding
As mentioned by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently, the pandemic is far from over. It’s time to wake up.
Authored by: Industry Expert & V.P Business Development at Welingkar Institute, Mr. Sriram Balakrishna
