Indian Vaccine Development : Too Slow ? | UPSC

INDIA AND THE RACE FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT

• The COVID-19 pandemic began in January 2020.
• Italy, France and the U.S. had the novel coronavirus importation in November–December of 2019, but it had remained unrecognised until laboratory test for diagnosis became available in mid-January 2020.
• By January 24, 2020, infection was detected outside China, Hong Kong and Macau, in Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Viet Nam, the U.S., France, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Nepal.
• By January 31, last year, Philippines, India, Russia, Spain, Sweden and the U.K. had documented virus importation.
• By February first week,26 afflicted countries realised that they were in the grip of a grave pandemic.

REPRESENTATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS

• Advanced biotechnology laboratories and large-scale vaccine manufacturing facilities made India a front runner, if not the best bet, to win the vaccine race in the world outside of China.

We had two more advantages: representation in two global initiatives–

1. The Global Pandemic Preparedness Monitoring Board
2. Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations(advising the world to prepare for vaccine development.

• The Prime Minister promised to lead SAARC countries in pandemic response.
• India had the capability to manufacture vaccine on a large scale.

HIGH-RATED FACILITIES

• India’s vaccine manufacturing facilities are highly rated, globally.

• However, they are concerned with research of a practical nature, for refining processes and products, rather than basic and fundamental research necessary for designing new vaccine candidates.

WHO SHOULD RESEARCH ON A VACCINE?

• Universities and Institutes of technologies are where such new ideas are incubated.
• Commercial manufacturing facilities depend on profit for research funding.

• When confronted with urgent need for vaccines, the wise approach would have been to establish a platform to bring the two groups together for fast-tracking vaccine candidate.
• The groups can implement designs,pre-clinical and clinical trials, and up-scaling manufacture of promising vaccines.
• Unfortunately, during January through March there was no guidance or leadership from the state for vaccine development.

EXPERTISE AND VACCINE DEVELOPMENT

• The expertise of the two global initiatives was not adapted for meeting India’s needs or for asserting India’s global leadership.

• Consequently, two made-in-India vaccines are now under the national regulatory agency’s assessment for suitability for emergency use authorisation.
• Neither vaccine has completed Phase 3 trials.

• By the end of December 2020, thirty-three countries other than China and Russia had already started vaccinating their citizens with vaccines with proper regulatory agency approvals.
• Four countries began vaccinations in the first half of December and twenty-nine countries began the process in the second half of December.

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

• India had the unique opportunity not only to lead the world in vaccine development and supply, but also in designing a vaccination strategy and platform for rolling out vaccine to the public.

• Utilising these two opportunities, India could have partly overcome the economic downturn due to the pandemic.