Political Diary
New Delhi, 14
December 2021
Politics of Vaccine
TIME FOR BOOSTER
By Poonam I Kaushish
Covid-19
announced itself to the world as 2020 dawned blitzing globally, unnerving
health systems, nose diving economies and the beginning of a new normal. Of a
first wave March last followed by a devastating second wave March-April.
Barely, had life began to bounce back to pre-Covid days albeit all masked up,
that the planet was inflicted by a new variant Omicron which surfaced in South
Africa last month. After inflicting 63 countries, it reared its ugly head India with 48 cases
and counting. As we await the new variant to reveal our future, the
only constant is the present.
Till date it has
ensnared Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan,
Gujarat and Karnataka in its vicious tentacles. Warning Omicron to be highly
contagious which would surpass Delta in its spreading speed the World Health
Organization and a galaxy of medical experts recommend a booster dose to
contain this tidal wave.
According to a recent
study by UK’s Health Security Agency showed two standard doses of
AstraZeneca /Oxford (Covishield) vaccine provided almost no protection
against symptomatic Omicron when compared to the 69% protection they provide
against Delta. But a booster dose of the vaccine exponentially increased the
antibody level
and efficacy to 71%-75%. This was echoed by many virologists and
epidemiologists.
However, India
continues to bury its head in the sand and vacillate. The Health Ministry told Lok Sabha the National Expert
Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 and the National Technical
Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) are considering scientific evidence
related to justification for booster doses as there is yet no medical evidence
to support the administering of these shots last week. Sic .
Discounting the theory, it is better to prevent than to
wait for evidence as protection delayed can also mean protection denied, the Subject Expert Committee under the Central Drugs
Standard Control Organisation stated: Boosters cannot be recommended without
clinical trials while reviewing Serum Institute of India application for the
booster dose amidst rising demand for it. Resulting in the company announcing a whopping 50% production
cut because it has not got enough Government orders.
Questionably,
if Omicron is thrice as transmissible as Delta why are we putting people at
risk? Will this not ensure that many uninfected people may actually get
infected? Don’t our BJP, Congress and Opposition netas recognize
that crowds, massive rallies and religious fervour will result in increased
fatalities? Besides, there are a large number of vaccine doses lying unused
whose shelf life would expire in some time to come why not administer to those
who voluntarily want to take it? Are various agencies and experts missing the
wood for trees?
Alas,
we have slipped into business-as-usual mode once the second wave began
receding. Minus the gains on the vaccine
front, there are similarities between where the country is now and where it was
in February prior to the bruising second wave. Put it down to complacency,
‘restriction fatigue’ and nonchalant approach to observing Covid norms. According
to the Indian Institute of Public Health, “people are throwing caution to the
wind going out meeting family and friends, partying etc.
Shockingly,
markets are overcrowded with people jostling for space, restaurants are packed
like sardines with no physical distancing or masks and there are incredulous
scenes of crowds at various airports after the new travel guidelines whereby
passengers from “at risk” countries have to undergo RTCPCR test and they cannot
leave the airport until they get the test results which can take a wait of up
to 6 hours. Big deal if it violates every tenet of social distancing norms.
The
Government needs to realize communication in a pandemic needs to be nuanced so
as not to promote carelessness. Instead we are treated to expert public
discourses full of speculation. Leading people to surmise that no one, experts
included really know what they are talking about, thereby creating deep
mistrust for rationality and science.
Certainly
we don’t want a repeat of the devastating second wave whereby our leaders and
policy makers mismanaged the situation, lowering their guard with an abundant
dose of bureaucratic incompetence and official arrogance ignoring critical
signs even as they patted themselves of having got the better of the pandemic, “bent
the virus like Beckham” and “conquered” Covid in January.
Till date India has fully vaccinated
55% of its adult population and partially inoculated 31%. Not a few experts
feel the vaccines being used continue to protect against severe disease,
hospitalisation and deaths. Consequently, for our policy makers the priority
still remains to reach the unreached: providing two primary doses to as many
adults as possible and those not already vaccinated. Alongside, pushing those
who are resisting taking the vaccine and those who
will not take a second jab by choice.
Said AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria,
“It is unlikely that a third wave of Covid-19 of a magnitude comparable to the
first and second will hit India. Its possibility is declining each passing day.
With time the pandemic will take an endemic form. We'll continue to get cases
but the severity will be highly reduced,” he added. Really? How can he foretell
the future?
Yet, many don’t buy his theory as incidences
of people walking in and getting or buying a third dose of Covishield or
Covaxin in private hospitals is gaining in numbers. Those who can afford it and
are picky about the vaccine make are flying to Dubai, London and other
destinations where shots are available
The Government must
ensure that in a country of 1.3 billion we do not land up in a situation like
we were in the second wave. Else we will lose the advantage of vaccination.
Moreover, we need to learn from the two waves to battle the third. Specially, with
schools across the country returning to in-person classes, there is concern
that children might trigger a new wave of infections.
It remains to be seen if the Government can improve timely booster
vaccination rollout
and give impetus to universal
immunization with vaccine choices and put together a new vision, preparedness
and a coherent stimulus plan. Our leaders need to realize that one death is one
death to many.
Clearly, this is just
an ongoing war. The Omicron saga tells us that
if vaccines or boosters are not given every uninfected person will continue to
be fertile factory for more and more mutants to emerge wherein jo kiya hai sab pe paani phir jayega. It is a race against time to defeat it.
Even as our leaders
exhort people to exercise Sainyam and
Sankalp, this alone is not enough. The Government needs to
remain focused and get on with the job of vaccinating millions a day and giving
booster shots. As we ready for a new tomorrow, there is no room for
complacency. As American singer Kenny Rogers sang: “If you’re gonna play the
game, boy, You gotta learn to play it right.” All India needs to do is play it
right. ----- INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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