Vaccination in India for COVID-19 Approaching
After a prolonged wait of almost a year, finally, the second most affected country by COVID-18 gained COVID-19 vaccination approvals! The Drugs Controller General of India approves the launch of two COVID-19 vaccines in India for restricted emergency use approval (EUA).
The developers of vaccines promised to provide doses, and truthfully so, most of the states have already rehearsed a dry run. The vaccines will be available any day within the coming weeks. One vaccine is the Covishield, developed by Oxford University and manufactured by one of the most prominent vaccine manufacturers, The Serum Institute of India, in collaboration with AstraZeneca. The other one is India’s Covid 19 vaccine, Covaxin, developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech. They collaborated with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to develop this vaccine.
This inactivated vaccine is manufactured in a BSL-3 (Biosafety Level 3) high containment facility. Once the interim clinical analysis of Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials of Covaxin was successful, the DCGI approved Bharat Biotech for the clinical trials of Phase 3. They received acceptance for Phase 3 trials in around more than 25 centers for 26,000 patients all over India. DCGI also permitted the vaccine rollout following the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) recommendations of Covid-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). It is an excellent step towards a brighter future and a step towards the mission of making India free from COVID-19.
With the vaccination process of COVID-19 approaching, here are a few things that one should know:
What is the Mode of Development of the Vaccine?
The vaccine AZD-1222, known as Covishield, utilizes a viral vector made up of a weakened strain from the common cold virus (adenovirus). The common cold virus consists of genetic material that is the same as the SARS-COV-2. After the dose is administered, the body notices a sharp increase in protein, and it builds the antibodies to tackle the infection. In the same way, Covaxin is produced by using the inactive version of the virus. The vaccine inactivates the reproduction potentiality of the virus. However, it sustains its life as the immune system would be able to give a reaction when it finds an attack in the future. Most vaccine producers often use inactive vaccines for years to deal with any pathogens and viruses. This also explains that inactive vaccines are safe and dependable.
Who will be the Priority for the COVID-19 Vaccine Drive?
To conduct the distribution of vaccination efficiently amongst such a large population, the Indian Government decided to divide the population into different categories based on the emergency of vaccination. Based on the priority, the category to receive covid19 vaccine first would be the doctors, nurses, frontline workers, and other healthcare staff. In the next category, people above 50 years of age would receive the vaccination, and people below 50 years of age have comorbidities.
During the vaccination process, messages will also be sent in the registered contact numbers of the eligible people to receive vaccines. The messages would contain all necessary details regarding their health facility and their vaccine schedule.
Is Vaccination for COVID-19 mandatory?
Vaccination would be provided only to those who want immunity. However, in an interview, Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences said that it is recommended that people take the vaccine to keep the virus away from themselves and be safe while also keeping others safe.
What is Vaccine Registration?
People who want the COVID-19 vaccine need to register online as a beneficiary. They would receive all the necessary information related to the health centre where they would be vaccinated along with their health schedule. Online registration is available, and an application is also being created for the registration.
What are the Essential Documents required for Vaccine Registration?
Any identity cards can be used for registration. People can use their health insurance, passport, bank passbook, post office passbook, smart card of Ministry of Labour, Pan card, voter ID card, driving license, MNREGA job card or guarantee card, official ID Card by MLAs or MPs, service ID card of employees of state and central government and private limited company employees.
Will People suffering from other Diseases also be vaccinated?
People suffering from other illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart patients will be vaccinated as they have comorbidities, which further increases the risk of being positively affected by the virus. According to Dr. Randeep Guleria, the medication for other diseases won’t affect the vaccine’s effectiveness.
What are the Side Effects of Vaccination?
There is a possibility of side effects after the dose of vaccination. People may have little body ache, headache, and mild fever. To handle these side effects, the states would make necessary arrangements.
Conclusion
India is the second country to approve Oxford’s vaccine after the United Kingdom. Both the vaccines’ effectiveness are clinically tested and are ready to protect patients from this deadly virus. Hopefully, both the vaccines Covishield and Covaxin will be available for the common man soon.
