CHANDIGARH: The start of the Covid vaccinations is not the end of the Covid story. Even if there is no efficacy data or evidence to determine for how long the immune response will last for the current Covid vaccines, public confidence can be built by sharing scientific data, feels AIIMS Delhi director Prof Randeep Guleria, who is also a member of the task force for Covid management. “In fact,” the eminent pulmonologist said, “This year will be exciting in vaccinology research.”
In an exclusive interaction with TOI during his visit for the PGI’s new academic session on Friday, Prof Guleria elaborated how the limitations of anti-viral drugs compelled scientists to roll out vaccines without waiting for efficacy data.
If you are talking about a vaccine in a pandemic situation, it is different from a non-pandemic situation, where one can wait for six months or a year for the efficacy data. However, at this time, our aim is to decrease mortality and stop the pandemic,” he said.
Even when the efficacy of these vaccines is not known, they can be a start point for the second generation vaccines which can evolve over a period of time, Prof Guleria said. “In future, we might have second generation vaccines with long-lasting immunity and perhaps need just one shot. Giving vaccines now, we are working to bring down the (mortality) numbers. It will evolve. We are building a ship while we are sailing.”
“We may find that immunity by one vaccine is waning and need booster dose or find better vaccines,” he added.
Concerned about some ‘unnecessary’ fear of the vaccines which have been granted emergency use authorisation, the AIIMS director said, “We have to address the challenge of infodemic and come out with good information. This is needed to build public confidence.”
Giving instance of smallpox vaccination when there was misbelief that anyone who took these shots would get a cow's face or horns at the site of the injection, Prof Guleria said, “This apprehension of vaccines is not old. When the smallpox vaccine was given, there are paintings in the medical books depicting people injected with the face of a cow in arms. Human fear has been there for centuries. We can develop evidence-based data and need to share this with the public,” he explained.
In fact, to immunise 30 crore people, there is a requirement of 60 crore doses, he said. “Thus, we need doses more than the current available doses of all the vaccines combined.”