New Delhi: Though there are nuances to clinical trials, optics of Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij getting vaccine jab and corona infection days later has jolted the faith of lay people in the efficacy of vaccines as a whole. The fact is grey area around COVID vaccine efficacy is so gaping that even distilled water could well be passed off as vaccines. The efficacy of the vaccine is a long shot.
The catch is taking vaccine shot will not give you instant protection. Till the time one gets the complete doses, the onus of protection will vest in you. Mask and social distancing will be necessary for long time even after the jab. Then you could be among those unfortunate ones on whom vaccines would not be effective. If you are ones among majority of people who are immune to Corona of their own, vaccine jab would be as good as nothing.
Anil Vij vaccine fiasco can be rationalised in terms of many possibilities; that the minister might have been given placebo as being in the control group, that he might have already been in the window of infection that he might have already got, that it takes a certain time and doses for vaccine to be effective and lastly that there would be certain percentage of people for whom vaccine would not be effective. Whatever be the fact, Vij episode has certainly queered the pitch for the vaccine he played ambassador to.
All of sudden there is a flurry of activity regarding COVID vaccines. World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus, who not long ago used to be doomsayer, seem so enthusiastic about the outcomes vaccine trials that he has said the world can begin to dream about the end of pandemic. Big Pharma companies are in over drive to roll out their vaccines. They are all set to make a killing in the vast populace of India. But COVID vaccines with varying degrees of protection claims are far from seeming credible. Even those who would be vaccinated would pray to God not to be among those on whom vaccines would professedly be ineffective.
In India, 8 vaccines are in various trial stages as announced by PM Narendra Modi himself a few days ago. He has also said that vaccines are expected to come in a few weeks from now. Out of 8 three vaccines are indigenous.
