Why India Has No Plans To Depend On Pfizer For Covid-19 Vaccine

-

The Centre is not going to keep all its eggs in the same basket and have its own vaccine ready in time 


While India is planning to support some poor countries with doses of Covid-19 vaccine, it is going to get an advantage of lesser-priced vaccine doses from the American biotech company Pfizer. Sources have confirmed that Pfizer is seeing the need to reduce its pricing to suit the Indian market. India was not planning to pick the dose from the US drug maker due to the high price and the fact that the vaccine is temperature sensitive, a tough proposition for a country like India that has varied temperatures throughout its length and breadth.

The Covid-19 vaccine has to kept under certain temperature that supports the efficacy of the drug. The Pfizer- BioNtech developed vaccine has extreme cold chain requirement at minus 70 degree Celsius.

Then there are logistic and storage challenges to be faced as well. Dr. V.K. Paul at the NITI Aayog has already stated that it is a huge challenge to store the vaccine on such low temperatures, and that also for longer durations.

India still has a backup plan- it has been developing its own candidate in collaboration with other pharma companies. The controversial Russian Sputnik IV candidate maker is also working a formula up with India. But unlike Canada, India does not be put all its eggs in the same basket.

The centre is keeping its options open, owing to the fact that India has a sizable population it would need to take care of. A huge chunk cannot afford expensive vaccines and therefore the Centre has not make arrangements for subsidized selling or free immunization.

There are 5 vaccine candidates at various trial stages in India. The local pharma companies are showing promising results once they get a go ahead from the British medicine regulatory board that certifies the safety of vaccine worldwide.

India could actually have its own vaccine ready by the end of the year; but it is important to wait and watch.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Is Truss Government Looking At Relaxing Immigration Rules?

-
Image
UK is moving towards relaxing labor shortage norms to make up for the windfall in its crucial food industry There are plans in the UK to ease off immigration rules as the country faces issues with labour shortage and need to boost economic growth. There are plans to expand the government’s shortage occupation list in order to fill in crucial vacancies. The best way that the new PM sees is by inviting overseas workers. A range of sectors are facing labor shortage and Ms Truss has been getting requests from the various to ease off immigration restrictions to ease off the labor shortage pressures. Businesses it is told have been frustrated over the visa system for skilled workers of being unresponsive to not fill the windfall. A severe shortage in farming for example needs to be addressed. Such shortages, it seems is looking like it will badly affect food and the farming sector. The first one to be helped would be the seasonal workers’ programme. Similarly, those in dire need will nee
Read more
-
Image
Callousness of authorities have been blamed by residents whose family members have gone missing while transiting illegally through Tunisia  Residents of Zarzis in southern Tunisia has extremely angry. They are blaming authorities for having buried drowned migrants from the coastal city without the informing families or finding out their whereabouts. Blockades and tyre burning has been their way of revolting and retaliating in the Medenine governorate. A boat carrying migrants to Europe went missing on the September 21. It was carrying as many as 18 people. Those who perished included a child as well. They all came from Zarzis, a city of 78,000 residents known as a crossing point for both Tunisian and Sub-Saharan African migrants. Authorities have been accused of negligence in initial attempts to look for the missing boat — even thwarting independent efforts with misinformation — and subsequently not putting enough effort into the search for bodies. This was compounded by bodies be
Read more

Iranian President Refuses Interview To CNN Reporter In The US

-
Image
Iranian President has to be interviewed but the famous Christiane Amanpour might not be doing this, if she doesn't wear a head scarf The woman is known to have interviewed the top and the best in the world. Political leaders vouch for her preciseness and accuracy of reporting and high journalistic standards. The international CNN anchor  Christiane Amanpour has however not received very great response when she has had the chance to interview the President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi. She has been asked to wear a head gear (cover her head in the conventional manner) before she decides to interview the President.  Visiting the United Nations with other world leaders this week, President Raisi was to speak with Amanpour, she said, amid the uprising back home. Posting about the incident on twitter, she said that it was going to be his first interview on U.S. soil. A whole lot of preparation had been done to ensure the interview went ahead well. But as Amanpour gently refused to wear a head
Read more