Normally it takes years to roll out one vaccine. It happens only after proper and thorough development, testing, and trails. But in the case of covid-19 vaccine, all this was done at top speed and before testing on a larger scale, the vaccines were rolled out in less than a year. These included Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and others in China and Russia. Due to the limited supply of the vaccines, companies and governments are prioritizing those who will get the vaccines. The vulnerable group and the frontline health workers are the first to receive it.
The vaccines for COVID-19
WHO has revealed that there are a number of vaccines that are in the various stages of development. 61 are in the clinical trial phase and 172 are in the pre-clinical testing level. This is the status as of 22 December 2020. And 2 vaccines in the USA, 1 each in China, the UK, and Russia have been provided emergency approval for use in public. They are said to be safe and effective but these have not yet tested in children < 16 years, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. The side-effects of the vaccines in the form of allergies are now coming to be known.
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| Pfizer covid-19 vaccine [Source: Pinterest] |
Each country has put forth a prioritization strategy so that the vulnerable groups get the vaccine first. These include the frontline workers who are maximally exposed to the virus, aged population, and those with comorbidities. The others will get the vaccine later on and not now.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines
Pfizer covid-19 vaccine got approval in the UK in early December. Later, Bahrain also approved it in an emergency. The USA followed suit. The other countries that have approved it similarly are Canada, Mexico, EU 29 nations, Serbia, Chile, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait. Singapore has also given emergency approval to the said vaccine.
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| Russian Sputnik V covid-19 vaccine [Source: Pinterest] |
Moderna vaccine has so far got an emergency approval in the USA and Canada. Russia approved its Sputnik V vaccine in August 2020. Argentina and Belarus have approved it as well though some concerns on its testing have been raised. CanSino's vaccine got approval in China. UAE, Bahrain, and China also have sanctioned the SinoPharma vaccine.
India and the vaccine scenario there
In India, it is the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization that has the power to approve the vaccines. But it has yet not sanctioned any of the world vaccines against covid-19. The Department has asked for additional data on it. Hence no mass vaccination has commenced in India. But in other countries, mass immunization has been initiated. The USA has already immunized 1 million people. The USA has the Operation Warp Speed for the administration of the vaccine. The health care workers and the people in long-term care facilities get the vaccine first there. In the UK, it is the elderly people and health care workers first and later the younger population would get the vaccine. Similar prioritization exists in Ireland.
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| SinoPharma covid-19 vaccine [Source: CGTN] |
Though no clear-cut guidelines have been stated by the Indian authorities, whenever the vaccination starts online registration for it and an ID proof will be required. And the vaccination would be voluntary.
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