Tag: #vaccine

Creating a Pandemic-proof Infrastructure

During the last few years, the world saw a crisis that shook every aspect of human life. A crisis that comes once in many decades. Almost every country experienced a complete lockdown at some point in time. Many countries with previously thought-to-be world-class health-care systems have also been tried, pushed to the limit, and in some respects found wanting. The pandemic took all countries by surprise and the discussion on appropriate national and global strategies is very diverse. The COVID-19 epidemic has demonstrated what is at risk, upending the lives of families worldwide. Millions of people have died, and a generation of kids has experienced a learning catastrophe.

The two years of the pandemic highlighted the current inadequacies of our healthcare delivery system and the need for urgent improvisation. The two years have seen us go through harrowing times—patients died for want of hospital beds and oxygen; the ventilator supply ran dry; high infections led to a severe manpower crunch at hospitals; there were not enough vaccines available then. Our healthcare system had crumbled under pressure, and our frontline workers, both in public and private hospitals, had burned themselves out. And now with cases rising, there is fear of a return to the past among healthcare workers.

Although the pandemic has eased, the virus is still alive and mutating and more pandemics are expected to follow. In the wake of this scenario, it is important for the world community to better equip ourselves to tackle such situations in the future. It is the moment that we realise the importance and need to strengthen healthcare infrastructure globally. It is time to work on making a pandemic-proof healthcare system for the future. Below are the areas that need to be focused on:

  • ·         Curative services – there is a need for the expansion of telemedicine from triage, diagnosis, and follow-up services covering all conditions (acute to chronic). Making institutions adapt and become centres of knowledge dissemination- telemedicine and all possibilities of e- and m-health and provide knowledge to people at home, on what symptoms to look out for, where to test, how to self-care, etc for not only Covid-19 but for other conditions too.
  • ·         Improve primary health care – Better primary health care will help us protect against future pandemics. Improving primary health care includes recruiting, training, and prioritising healthcare workers, and establishing effective surveillance and response systems, building confidence in health services through community outreach.
  • ·         Improve logistics and supply – There are a lot of logistics that are needed in a healthcare system. Some examples include masks, gloves, PPEs, disinfectants, etc. Apart from there’s also the supply of syringes and the cold chain storage that’s been necessary to make sure that the vaccines are stored at the proper temperature and don’t go to waste.  Increased investments in this type of infrastructure will assist to guarantee that communities obtain the immunizations they require while also protecting them from future outbreaks.
  • ·         Promotive and preventive healthcare services – The pandemic has demonstrated that having an underlying condition like diabetes, hypertension or obesity predisposes one to complications, long hospital stays, and mortality. Because of all these reasons, COVID-19 has been categorised as a syndemic rather than a pandemic. It is necessary to provide preventive and promotive health services like boosting one’s immune system through diet, exercise, and supplements, in different formats, online, face-to-face, or through home visits.
  • ·         Mental health services – Mental health issues during the pandemic are threatening to become the next pandemic. Stress and mental health issues related to lockdowns affect everyone but tend to affect the weaker segments of society more severely. It is necessary to create awareness about mental health and make mental health services available, accessible, and affordable to all.

It is true that we need to build pandemic-proof health infrastructure. But does Covid-19 expose our health sector only or show us the reality of other aspects also? Working only on health will not be sufficient. We also need to improve our social, educational and political infrastructure. The world saw a huge dropout of students because of online classes during pandemic. Some of the major reasons given for dropping are fairly obvious: technology problems, lack of support, poorly designed courses, and technologically inexperienced educators. This demands due consideration and commitment. The epidemic has impacted numerous nations’ governmental and political systems, resulting in declarations of emergency, suspensions of legislative activity, isolation or death of multiple lawmakers, and postponing of elections owing to worries of viral transmission.Furthermore, in certain areas, the epidemic has posed various problems to democracy, causing it to be weakened and harmed. Hence, building a pandemic-proof political infrastructure will not only ensure an efficient response to tackle the crisis but also provide basic institutional support to the nation and to the world as a whole.

This is a unique moment where we have an opportunity to learn from this pandemic and prevent others in the future. The legacy of COVID-19 mustn’t be one of disruption and disparity, but instead a moment of monumental change.

Creating a Pandemic-proof Infrastructure

During the last few years, the world saw a crisis that shook every aspect of human life. A crisis that comes once in many decades. Almost every country experienced a complete lockdown at some point in time. Many countries with previously thought-to-be world-class health-care systems have also been tried, pushed to the limit, and in some respects found wanting. The pandemic took all countries by surprise and the discussion on appropriate national and global strategies is very diverse. The COVID-19 epidemic has demonstrated what is at risk, upending the lives of families worldwide. Millions of people have died, and a generation of kids has experienced a learning catastrophe.

The two years of the pandemic highlighted the current inadequacies of our healthcare delivery system and the need for urgent improvisation. The two years have seen us go through harrowing times—patients died for want of hospital beds and oxygen; the ventilator supply ran dry; high infections led to a severe manpower crunch at hospitals; there were not enough vaccines available then. Our healthcare system had crumbled under pressure, and our frontline workers, both in public and private hospitals, had burned themselves out. And now with cases rising, there is fear of a return to the past among healthcare workers.

Although the pandemic has eased, the virus is still alive and mutating and more pandemics are expected to follow. In the wake of this scenario, it is important for the world community to better equip ourselves to tackle such situations in the future. It is the moment that we realise the importance and need to strengthen healthcare infrastructure globally. It is time to work on making a pandemic-proof healthcare system for the future. Below are the areas that need to be focused on:

  • ·         Curative services – there is a need for the expansion of telemedicine from triage, diagnosis, and follow-up services covering all conditions (acute to chronic). Making institutions adapt and become centres of knowledge dissemination- telemedicine and all possibilities of e- and m-health and provide knowledge to people at home, on what symptoms to look out for, where to test, how to self-care, etc for not only Covid-19 but for other conditions too.
  • ·         Improve primary health care – Better primary health care will help us protect against future pandemics. Improving primary health care includes recruiting, training, and prioritising healthcare workers, and establishing effective surveillance and response systems, building confidence in health services through community outreach.
  • ·         Improve logistics and supply – There are a lot of logistics that are needed in a healthcare system. Some examples include masks, gloves, PPEs, disinfectants, etc. Apart from there’s also the supply of syringes and the cold chain storage that’s been necessary to make sure that the vaccines are stored at the proper temperature and don’t go to waste.  Increased investments in this type of infrastructure will assist to guarantee that communities obtain the immunizations they require while also protecting them from future outbreaks.
  • ·         Promotive and preventive healthcare services – The pandemic has demonstrated that having an underlying condition like diabetes, hypertension or obesity predisposes one to complications, long hospital stays, and mortality. Because of all these reasons, COVID-19 has been categorised as a syndemic rather than a pandemic. It is necessary to provide preventive and promotive health services like boosting one’s immune system through diet, exercise, and supplements, in different formats, online, face-to-face, or through home visits.
  • ·         Mental health services – Mental health issues during the pandemic are threatening to become the next pandemic. Stress and mental health issues related to lockdowns affect everyone but tend to affect the weaker segments of society more severely. It is necessary to create awareness about mental health and make mental health services available, accessible, and affordable to all.

It is true that we need to build pandemic-proof health infrastructure. But does Covid-19 expose our health sector only or show us the reality of other aspects also? Working only on health will not be sufficient. We also need to improve our social, educational and political infrastructure. The world saw a huge dropout of students because of online classes during pandemic. Some of the major reasons given for dropping are fairly obvious: technology problems, lack of support, poorly designed courses, and technologically inexperienced educators. This demands due consideration and commitment. The epidemic has impacted numerous nations’ governmental and political systems, resulting in declarations of emergency, suspensions of legislative activity, isolation or death of multiple lawmakers, and postponing of elections owing to worries of viral transmission.Furthermore, in certain areas, the epidemic has posed various problems to democracy, causing it to be weakened and harmed. Hence, building a pandemic-proof political infrastructure will not only ensure an efficient response to tackle the crisis but also provide basic institutional support to the nation and to the world as a whole.

This is a unique moment where we have an opportunity to learn from this pandemic and prevent others in the future. The legacy of COVID-19 mustn’t be one of disruption and disparity, but instead a moment of monumental change.

Amid covid concerns, chinese are turning to black market India made meds.

Residents in China have been scouring the market for generic COVID-19 drugs and India seems to be the answer to their problem. In the recent past, the Chinese authorities have approved two Covid antivirals – Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine – for the treatment. While China has ran out of the medicine, the Indian market is filled with it and is slowly becoming the next favourite destination.

In the past few months, topics like “anti-Covid Indian generic drugs sold at 1,000 yuan (US$144) per box” has been making the rounds of the Chinese social media. Platforms like Weibo and WeChat are filled with such queries and experts believe that black market deals are being conducted on them.

While the distribution of drugs which are not approved in China is not illegal, there can be penalties imposed on the illegal imports. Even the doctors in China have warned the public against buying drugs on the black market with several patients displaying massive side effects to the medicines.

Amid covid concerns, chinese are turning to black market India made meds.

Residents in China have been scouring the market for generic COVID-19 drugs and India seems to be the answer to their problem. In the recent past, the Chinese authorities have approved two Covid antivirals – Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine – for the treatment. While China has ran out of the medicine, the Indian market is filled with it and is slowly becoming the next favourite destination.

In the past few months, topics like “anti-Covid Indian generic drugs sold at 1,000 yuan (US$144) per box” has been making the rounds of the Chinese social media. Platforms like Weibo and WeChat are filled with such queries and experts believe that black market deals are being conducted on them.

While the distribution of drugs which are not approved in China is not illegal, there can be penalties imposed on the illegal imports. Even the doctors in China have warned the public against buying drugs on the black market with several patients displaying massive side effects to the medicines.

Health minister holds a meeting today on covid rising concern.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the country in view of a sudden spurt in cases in some parts of the world, and directed officials to be alert and strengthen surveillance. “Use a mask if you are in a crowded space, indoors or outdoors. This is all the more important for people with comorbidities or are of higher age,” he said. “Only 27-28% of people have taken precaution dose. We appeal to others, especially senior citizens, to take precaution dose. Precaution dose is mandated and guided to everyone.”

In view of the rise in cases in Japan, the United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China the Union Health Ministry, urged all states and Union territories to ramp up the whole genome sequencing of positive samples of Covid to keep track of emerging variants.

In India, more than 220 crore vaccination doses have been administered, including booster shots. Many got reinfected or have already been exposed to omicron, its sub-variants, and sub-lineages. As a result, many Indians have developed ‘hybrid immunity’ or ‘super immunity’, due to a combination of extensive vaccination and natural infection. Nevertheless, in view of the sudden spurt of cases abroad, the government is reviewing the situation and has directed all relevant agencies to be alert.

Health minister holds a meeting today on covid rising concern.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the country in view of a sudden spurt in cases in some parts of the world, and directed officials to be alert and strengthen surveillance. “Use a mask if you are in a crowded space, indoors or outdoors. This is all the more important for people with comorbidities or are of higher age,” he said. “Only 27-28% of people have taken precaution dose. We appeal to others, especially senior citizens, to take precaution dose. Precaution dose is mandated and guided to everyone.”

In view of the rise in cases in Japan, the United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China the Union Health Ministry, urged all states and Union territories to ramp up the whole genome sequencing of positive samples of Covid to keep track of emerging variants.

In India, more than 220 crore vaccination doses have been administered, including booster shots. Many got reinfected or have already been exposed to omicron, its sub-variants, and sub-lineages. As a result, many Indians have developed ‘hybrid immunity’ or ‘super immunity’, due to a combination of extensive vaccination and natural infection. Nevertheless, in view of the sudden spurt of cases abroad, the government is reviewing the situation and has directed all relevant agencies to be alert.

INDIA ACHIEVES A MILESTONE – News Update

The Indian Prime Minister, Mr.Narendra Modi has recently announced that the country remains a steadfast partner in global efforts to combat the Covid pandemic. The government’s results have resulted in a positive impact against the battle with the deadly Corona Virus. India made a 100 Crore Vaccine jabs milestone on 22nd October, 2021. Thousands of health care workers and people from the government sector joined hands to achieve this mark. There had been no such mass vaccination drive in the country prior to the pandemic. Indians were not made to wait endlessly for these jabs due to vaccine makers such as The Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute. Within a short duration of time amidst the Covid – 19 waves, these manufacturers came to the rescue and supplied indigenous doses.

After several episodes of complete and partial lockdowns in the nation, the authorities began permitting to open up different sectors, trains, educational institutes and shopping malls, with the mandatory restriction of complete vaccination of an individual. The date 16th of July, will be engraved in the history of India’s achievements, as this is the day when the very first vaccines were administered to the frontliners. The civilians were initially hesitant with administration of the jabs because of several inhibitions and rumours. Gradually, the public started pre-booking their slots in order to get vaccinated. In about only 9 months, India is basking in glory with the milestone that has been achieved.

The country not just secured itself from the virus, but also worked for humanitarian causes by supplying these vaccines to other nations such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, South Africa, Afghanistan and many more. There were times when the government did receive backlash for supplying vaccines and this move was also being called as a risky diplomacy. Inspite of hardships, the country did supply approximately 361 lakh doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to other nations.

With the completion of this landmark, a gesture of gratitude towards the frontline warriors was displayed by lighting up of 100 monuments in India, ins colour of the Indian tri-colour. This initiative was lead by the Archaeological Survey Of India. Therefore, to offer a vote of thanks to all the doctors, nurses, sanitation staff, police officers, monuments including the Konark Temple, Agra Fort, Red Fort, Shanivar Wada, Khajurao, Fatehpur Sikri, Qutb Minar, Kumbalgarh, Nalanda, St. Francis Church, Dholavira, etc were illuminated. This expression of gratefulness towards the relentless efforts of the essential workers took place on the night of 21st October, 2021.

The National COVID-19 vaccination drive of India is the world’s largest vaccination drive and has been unprecedented in both scale and reach. India alertly imposed restrictions on the movement of people and quickly arranged for hospital like setups to provide timely health care. A series of sessions were conducted by the Prime Minister to advice the citizens regarding the ongoing crisis. India scored high on communications with health care workers during a public health emergency, trade and travel restrictions, laboratory systems, immunization, and socioeconomic resilience.

VACCINE TECHNOLOGY

BY DAKSHITA NAITHANI

ABSTRACT

The immune system is a system that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep assaults at bay and diseases at bay. The whole system is made up of organs, tissues, and a variety of cell types that work together to defend the body. Immune cells must be able to tell the difference between native and non-native cells and proteins. Microbial cells have antigens that serve as identifiers. Antigens can induce an immune response in the human body. Each species has its own set of characteristics. Vaccines function by inducing an antibody memory response in the body without producing illness. As a result, you build immunity without becoming sick. It must include at least one antigen from the target species to trigger a response.

INTRODUCTION TO VACCINE TECHNOLOGY

A vaccination, often known as an immunisation, is a biological substance that protects people from disease-causing microorganisms. They make advantage of our immune system’s built-in ability to fight infection.

They’re produced from the same pathogens that cause the disease. They have, however, been destroyed or reduced to the point that they are no longer a source of it. Certain medicines just contain a part of the microorganism.

This is why they work so well as medications. They don’t treat or cure diseases like conventional medications; instead, they prevent them. They deceive the immune system that it has been invaded by a real intruder. When real germs enter our bodies, the same thing happens, but you don’t become ill. If you ever come into touch with a pathogen, your immune system will remember it and eradicate it before it can damage you.

TYPES

Vaccines are made using a number of techniques. Various vaccine types need different techniques to development. Antigens can be used in a variety of ways, including:

These can be delivered by a needle injected into the human skin, or ingested orally or through the nasal route.

LIVE (CHICKEN POX AND MMR)

Attenuated vaccines can be made in a variety of ways. All methods involving the transmission of a virus to a non-human host result in a virus that can be recognised by the immune system but cannot replicate in humans. When given to a human, the resulting will not be able to proliferate sufficiently to cause disease, but it will protect the individual from infection in the future. Its protection outlasts that of a dead or inactivated vaccination in most cases.

INACTIVATED (POLIO VIRUS)

A pathogen is inactivated using heat or chemicals to create this sort of vaccination. Because destroyed viruses are unable to replicate, they cannot revert to a more virulent form capable of causing disease. They are, however, less effective than live vaccines and are more likely to require renewals in order to acquire long-term protection.

RECOMBINANT (HPV)

They have been genetically modified in a lab. This method may be used to duplicate a certain gene. The HPV vaccine may be tailored to protect against strains that cause cervical cancer.

SUBUNIT (INFLUENZA AND ACELLULAR PERTUSSIS) AND CONJUGATE VACCINES (HAVING ONLY PIECES OF THE PATHOGEN)

Subunit vaccines use only a fraction of a target pathogen to elicit a response. This can be accomplished by isolating and administering a specific pathogen protein as a stand-alone antigen.

Conjugate vaccines, like recombinant vaccines, are made up of two different components. The “piece” of microbe being supplied would not typically elicit a substantial reaction on its own, but the carrier protein would. The bacterium is not the sole cause of the disease, but when combined with a carrier protein, it can render a person resistant to subsequent infections.

TOXOIDS (DIPHTHERIA AND TETANUS)

Some diseases are caused by a toxin produced by bacterium rather than by the bacterium themselves. Toxoids are inactivated toxoids that are used in vaccinations. Toxoids are classed as killed vaccines, although they are sometimes given their own category to emphasise the fact that they include an inactivated toxin.

DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION

Vaccine development is a lengthy process that involves both public and private parties and takes almost a decade. Millions of individuals receive them each year, and the most of them have been in use for decades. Before being included in a country’s vaccination programme, they must undergo extensive testing to ensure their safety. Each vaccine in development must first go through screenings and evaluations to determine which antigen should be utilised to elicit a reaction. This step is completed without the use of humans. Animals are used to assess the safety and disease-prevention potential of experimental vaccinations.

STAGE 1

It takes around 2-4 years to produce and necessitates some fundamental research. Antigens, whether natural or synthetic, are identified by scientists and may help in disease prevention or therapy. Antigens might be virus-like particles, attenuated viruses or bacteria, weakened bacterial toxins, or other pathogen-derived substances.

STAGE 2

Using tissue or cell-culture techniques and animal testing, studies assess the candidate vaccine’s safety or ability to elicit an immune response. Animal topics include fish, monkeys, and mice. These studies give an idea of what to expect in terms of cellular responses in people. This period often lasts 1-2 years.

PHASE I TRIALS

The vaccine is administered to a small number of volunteers to determine its safety, confirm that it induces a reaction, and determine the optimum dosage. This round of testing is carried out on young, healthy adult participants. The goals are to determine the type and number of reactions generated by the candidate vaccine, as well as to assess the candidate vaccine’s safety.

PHASE II TRIALS

The vaccine is then given to several hundred participants to assess its safety and ability to elicit a response. Participants in this phase share the same traits as the vaccine’s intended recipients. Several studies are often undertaken during this phase to test various age groups and vaccination formulations. In most studies, a non-vaccinated group is included as a comparison group to check if the changes in the vaccinated group were due to chance or medicine.

PHASE III TRIALS

The goal is to assess vaccine safety in a large group of patients. Certain rare side effects may not have showed themselves in the low numbers of people tested in the first phase. Thousands of volunteers are given the vaccination compared to a similar number of individuals who did not receive the injection but received a comparator product to assess the vaccine’s efficacy against the illness. It is meant to protect against and to examine its safety in a much bigger group of people. To guarantee that the performance findings are applicable to a wide variety of persons, the bulk of phase three trials are conducted across various countries and different sites within a country.

PHASE IV TRIALS

Firms may conduct optional studies following the launch of a vaccine. The producer may do additional testing to determine the vaccine’s safety, efficacy, and other potential applications.

REVERSE VACCINOLOGY

Reverse vaccinology is the use of genetic information combined with technology to make vaccines without the use of microorganisms. It assists in the study of an organism’s genome for the purpose of identifying novel antigens and epitopes that may be utilised as prospective candidates. This method has been around for at least a decade. By unravelling the entire genomic sequence, it is possible to determine what molecules make up the genomic sequence. Without needing to grow the pathogen for a longer amount of time, candidate antigens can be discovered.

Reverse vaccinology has been used to create vaccines for meningococcal and staphylococcal diseases all over the world. Infections are caused by Staphylococcus bacteria, which can be found on the skin or in the nose of even healthy persons. The bacteria Neisseria meningitidis causes a serious infection of the thin covering of the brain and spinal cord.

PRODUCTION QUALITY CONTROL AND COMMERCIALIZATION

Vaccines are biological compounds that are frequently hybridised and complex to understand. They are made through a succession of manufacturing and formulation steps, with the finished product often containing a large number of component items. As a result, unlike a tiny molecule medicine, the finished product is impossible to classify. This needs a highly controlled production system as well as a personnel capable of performing such processes on a continual basis. Control testing takes over two years and occupies more than half of the time in the subsequent manufacturing process.

 STEP 1- PRODUCTION

Following clinical trials, when a vaccine reaches the pre-approval stage, it is evaluated by the applicable regulatory authority for quality, safety requirements.

STEP -2 MAKING

Businesses will create development plans for a vaccine on their own. Once a vaccine is approved, production begins to pace up. The antigen has been rendered inactive. All of the components are mixed to make the final product. The entire process, from testing to manufacturing, can take a lengthy time to complete.

STEP- 3 PACKAGING

It is then bottled in glass vials and packed for safe cold storage and transportation once it is produced in bulk. It must be able to resist severe temperatures as well as the dangers associated with international shipping. As a result, glass is the most often used material for vials since it is robust and can keep its integrity under severe extrinsic factors.

 STEP- 4 STORAGE

When it is excessively hot or cold, it loses its effectiveness and may even become inert. Vaccinations can be destroyed or rendered dangerous to use if kept at the improper temperature. Most vaccinations must be kept chilled between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, necessitating the use of specialist medical freezers.

STEP-5 SHIPPING

They are transported out using particular equipment so as to maintain its integrity. Lorries deliver them from the airport to the warehouse cool room after supplies arrive in the market. New innovations have resulted in the development of portable devices that can keep vaccines cold for several days without the need of power.

QUALITY CONTROL

Once they are given out, authorities continuously check for – and assess the severity of – any potential side effects and responses from the recipients. Safety is a top priority, with frequent reviews and post-approval clinical trials reporting on its effectiveness and safety.

CAREER SCOPE

There are several prospects in vaccine research and development, clinical trials, vaccine manufacturing, and public distribution. These jobs are available at universities, companies, government laboratories and agencies, hospitals, and on the front lines of vaccine distribution all around the world. When different components of a project are handled by different groups at the same time in industry, greater teamwork is usually required, whereas a scientist in an academic lab may be a lone worker overseeing all parts of a project.

The balance between creative science and all of the business administration that comes with securing money, maintaining a budget, and overseeing other scientists or assistants is the most challenging aspect.

 Research allows scientists to work on a project that has the potential to have a direct influence on public health, whether it’s on a lab bench, a production line, or to support a clinical trial.

WHAT REALLY ARE VACCINES?

BY: VAIBHAVI MENON

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body’s immune system to recognize the agent as a threat, destroy it, and to further recognize and destroy any of the microorganisms associated with that agent that it may encounter in the future. Vaccines can be prophylactic (to prevent or ameliorate the effects of a future infection by a natural or “wild” pathogen), or therapeutic (to fight a disease that has already occurred, such as cancer).

The administration of vaccines is called vaccination. Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases; widespread immunity due to vaccination is largely responsible for the worldwide eradication of smallpox and the restriction of diseases such as polio, measles, and tetanus from much of the world. The effectiveness of vaccination has been widely studied and verified; for example, vaccines that have proven effective include the influenza vaccine, the HPV vaccine, and the chicken pox vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that licensed vaccines are currently available for twenty-five different preventable infections. The terms vaccine and vaccination are derived from Variolae vaccinae (smallpox of the cow), the term devised by Edward Jenner (who both developed the concept of vaccines and created the first vaccine) to denote cowpox. He used the phrase in 1798 for the long title of his Inquiry into the Variolae vaccinae Known as the Cow Pox, in which he described the protective effect of cowpox against smallpox. In 1881, to honor Jenner, Louis Pasteur proposed that the terms should be extended to cover the new protective inoculations then being developed. The science of vaccine development and production is termed vaccinology. There is overwhelming scientific consensus that vaccines are a very safe and effective way to fight and eradicate infectious diseases. The immune system recognizes vaccine agents as foreign, destroys them, and “remembers” them. When the virulent version of an agent is encountered, the body recognizes the protein coat on the virus, and thus is prepared to respond, by first neutralizing the target agent before it can enter cells, and secondly by recognizing and destroying infected cells before that agent can multiply to vast numbers. Limitations to their effectiveness, nevertheless, exist. Sometimes, protection fails because of vaccine-related failure such as failures in vaccine attenuation, vaccination regimes or administration or host-related failure due to host’s immune system simply does not respond adequately or at all. Lack of response commonly results from genetics, immune status, age, health or nutritional status. It also might fail for genetic reasons if the host’s immune system includes no strains of B cells that can generate antibodies suited to reacting effectively and binding to the antigens associated with the pathogen.

Even if the host does develop antibodies, protection might not be adequate; immunity might develop too slowly to be effective in time, the antibodies might not disable the pathogen completely, or there might be multiple strains of the pathogen, not all of which are equally susceptible to the immune reaction. However, even a partial, late, or weak immunity, such as a one resulting from cross-immunity to a strain other than the target strain, may mitigate an infection, resulting in a lower mortality rate, lower morbidity, and faster recovery. Adjuvants commonly are used to boost immune response, particularly for older people whose immune response to a simple vaccine may have weakened.

LIFE LESSONS THAT CORONA VIRUS TAUGHT US

India has learned a number of hard lessons as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The first is that we can no longer continue to exploit nature ruthlessly. Climate change, irregular weather patterns, and pollution of the air, land, and sea have driven the country, and the planet, to a precipice. Unless this is rapidly corrected, we will be in serious difficulty by the end of the century. It’s incredible that the lockdown has resulted in nature regenerating. After decades of pollution, we saw blue sky again, and various animal, bird, and insect species made a comeback. We must strive to keep these positive trends going so that we do not relapse to the old normal, but instead adopt a new normal. 

“COVID-19 has taught us that health is extremely important in our lives, as healthy people are better able to combat the coronavirus. “The environment has a direct impact on our health”. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us a lot of valuable lessons and shifted our life priorities. Most of us wouldn’t have comprehended terms like social distancing or flattening the curve a year ago, and the concept of wearing fabric masks in public or being unable to walk out in public would have looked ridiculous. When we fast forward to early 2020, everything has altered. While COVID-19 has brought with it new problems and uncertainty, it has also taught us some important lessons. 

Covid-19 has taught us Lessons of Life:

1.Family and friends come first: Many of us may have taken human interaction for granted until the coronavirus took over our life. However, spending time with our close loved ones has now taken precedence. Despite the natural frustrations that everyday confinement might bring, it’s crucial to consider what our family and friends mean to us. But grab the day and remember that there are more good times with family and friends today, and we are receiving care and love that was long overdue and really needed somewhere. We appreciate it! 

2. Hobbies are therapeutic: During the lockdown, most of us have either honed our culinary skills or started cooking from scratch. Except for those who have been away from home due to job or studies, those of us who have been dependent on our mothers/fathers or a chef for our favorite meals have recently experienced the effort and time it takes in the kitchen. Our renewed excitement for hobbies, such as cooking and knitting, as well as painting and learning a new language, has helped us recharge our health batteries while also strengthening our bonds with our families. 

3. Less Pollution, Clear Blue Skies: Cities choking on toxic gases emitted during festivals, as well as from vehicular and factory operations, are nothing new to us. However, we haven’t seen clear blue skies in a long time since lockdown was implemented, roughly from mid-March onwards. Not only that, but the AQI improved dramatically for months, and for the first time in a long time, we breathed clean, pollution-free air! We had almost forgotten how blue skies looked and how fresh air felt until we experienced them during this period! 

4. Life is valuable: Recognize and appreciate what we have. With over 225 thousand lives lost in the United States (and over 1.1 million worldwide) as a result of the epidemic, I’ve had to reconsider my priorities and recall how valuable life is. It’s served as a reminder to enjoy the little things in life, which I often overlook. With so many people dying every day, I am grateful for my family and friends, even if it means video chats and text messages when we can’t see each other face to face. Given how many others are sick, I am thankful for my good health. With so many people losing their jobs and becoming homeless, I am thankful for the food in my refrigerator and a safe place to call home. This pandemic has caused me to re-evaluate my life and prioritize my priorities, as well as act as a reminder of how valuable life is and how much I value the little things in life.

So Many Vaccines! But Which One Is The Best?

Since the pandemic unleashed each country from every nook and corner of the world started the research on the virus to make a vaccines. Till date a lot of countries have produced innumerous vaccines. Following are some of the most widely used vaccines.

1.Covaxin

Released by Bharat Biotech, it has an efficacy of 78% against symptomatic cases. The phase 4 trials were started in June 2021. It constitutes an inactive form of the covid virus. This invokes the immune system which kills any such virus that enters the future. It is given in the form of 2 doses each 4 to 6 weeks apart. There may be side effects like pain, swelling, stiffness in the upper arm, etc. It has not been tested on infants, pregnant, and breastfeeding women.

2.Covishield

 Developed by the Oxford-AstraZeneca, it is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII). It is also given in 2 doses but both are 12 to 16 weeks apart. When both doses are given 30 days apart it is 70% effective but when the doses are 2 to 3 months apart, the efficacy rises to 90%. It has the same side effects as covaxin and is also not tested on infants, pregnant, and breastfeeding mothers.

3.Pfizer

Developed by the German company BioNTech it is an mRNA bases vaccine that encodes the mutated form of the spike protein. Its efficacy is around 91% after the second dose. A gap of 3-4 weeks is recommended between the 2 doses. Side effects remain the same. It can be administered to children above 16 years of age.

4.Sputnik V

Produced by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia, it is an adenovirus viral vector vaccine. Its efficacy is 91%. The second dose is different from the first and is given after 21 days gap. The export from one country to another is easy as it requires a storage temperature of +2-8 degrees Celsius. With the same side effects, it is not recommended to pregnant women.

5.Moderna

Produced by ModernaTX, Inc., an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in Cambridge, it is an mRNA-based vaccine. It is given in the form of 2 doses 28 days apart. It is recommended for people above 18 years of age with the same side effects. After 2 weeks of the second dose, the efficacy rises from 91% to 94%.

The side effects that these vaccines have are normal and only means that our body’s defense mechanism is working. Therefore each individual should get a vaccine as soon as possible.

Supply Chain Challenges for Covid-19 Vaccine Delivery in India

1. Logistics and Management

As of today, there are 154 candidate vaccines in pre-clinical trials, 21 in Phase-1 trials (Small-scalesafety trials), 12 in Phase-2 trials (Expanded safety-trials) and 11 in the path of approval across the globe. Not to forget, Russia’s first registered vaccine against the virus – Sputnik V. Even India has over a dozen of companies working on the vaccines out of which Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR, is in its final stages and is highly anticipated. With so many possibilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors need to ensure continuity in vaccine development and delivery to meet the market demand. The following table talks about the potential vaccines being manufactured in India.

2. Availability and Affordability

Once the vaccine is launched, availability and affordability will be a key challenge. We must consider
the possibility of a private-public partnership to move this further, like in the case of polio vaccines.
There could be possible problems of irregular access to the vaccines, shortage in the supply, theft and
robbery, spike in pricing etc. which must be thought of beforehand. The vaccines must be suitably and
fairly priced for the lower income groups to be able to afford.

3. Manufacture and Production outreach

India has an upper hand in this criterion, since it has been manufacturing and exporting a significant
amount of vaccines and medicines of different kinds, globally. However, on the arrival of a potential
vaccine, manufacture and production has to be given a clear priority and must be upscaled, in order to
be prepared for the challenges of shortages like in the case of N95 masks.

4. Education and Outreach

Although vaccines are primarily important, it is not vital that everyone must be vaccinated at one
time. People with good immunity, free of ailments and high resilience are not particularly required to
be vaccinated. Healthcare workers, Senior citizens, people with health problems like diabetes, asthma,
coronary diseases etc. must be given first priority over the healthy population of the country, which
can be vaccinated at a later stage, if necessary.

What happens if mix-up several doses of the Covid-19 vaccine?

It has almost been a year since the country was forced to its knees by accepting the lockdown terms. On the evening of March 24th, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a nationwide lockdown. The lockdown caused immense times of difficulties and also claimed several lives. The lockdown period also thought us the need and urge of helping. We were united in this fight against the pandemic. Although, the virus claimed several lives; it also thought us about how to face a crisis and made us adapt to the online routine.

Several countries and research units immediately began working towards a cure against the virus. After several attempts and tries, many research centers came up with vaccines to help release the citizens of this devastating pandemic. The government too implemented policies to help ease the citizens of the nation. Currently in India, we are offered one particular type of vaccine to help us in developing antibodies to help fight the virus. The vaccine doses were administered to main people above the age group of 18, to mainly eradicate this virus from our nation. Doses are been given now to the youth in efforts to boost the country’s economy.

Recently, a Lancet medical journal reported that a mixed schedule of the Pfizer shot followed by the AstraZeneca dose has caused high amounts of antibodies in a patient’s body.

The doctors and medical health care unit are constantly working hard in improving the efficacy rates and efficiency of these vaccines. One way, of improving the vaccine’s efficiency is by giving the doses at a delayed time to have maximum impact on one’s body. In countries where several choices of doses are available, the other vaccines can be used as assistance to boost the immunity of a person.

Well according to the research, the order in which the people were administered the different vaccines affected the results. In cases where the AstraZeneca jab was given before the Pfizer vaccine displayed higher levels of antibodies than Pfizer tailed by AstraZeneca. Several methods and orders of mixing up these vaccines were carefully studied and finally, the most effective dosage was found to be Astra followed by Pfizer.

This trial was carried out by involving 830 people over the age of 50. It was tested solely against the primitive virus found in Wuhan in the year 2019. Further testing against the several strains and variants present now can help in widening this research and could help develop further such combinations of vaccines. This study will also attempt at implementing several other doses like Moderna and Novavx.

Initially, the shots of AstraZeneca were placed between 6-8 weeks, which has now been increased to a duration of 12 weeks to increase the efficiency of the vaccine. Furthermore, a study under Oxford also claimed that spacing the time between the two doses to 10 months further boosts the vaccine’s effectiveness.

The vaccines are our only hope in this fight against the virus, so we must believe in them and take up the doses diligently. Medical institutes will always come up with better ways of vaccinating the population. So, we must co-operate with the medical representatives and cause any trouble to them.

Vaccination is good or bad?

VACCINE IS LIKE A SOLDIER AGAINST VIRUSES.

India was in a critical situation because of the corona virus but now those who are affected by corona virus rating are falling down. The government has taken various steps to control the corona virus but all the steps have failed death rate was increasing because there were many people who are affected by corona virus there were no beds, no doctors, no oxygen, no medicine and no remedies. So many people died then in some places there were no place bury those who died by the affect of corona virus. This situation has changed a little because of lockdown and also all people are afraid that we too be affected by corona virus and die, so we can take vaccination so that at least we can save our lives. In India there are two vaccinations one is made in India that is Covaxin vaccination and another one is Covishield it was made by England and India. Another thing Sputnik vaccine from Russia it is also used in India because there is no enough Vaccination in India. Many people are showing intrest to vaccinate there are some who are not willing to vaccine. If we vaccinate we can protect others and ourselves because we are vaccinated in our body if there is corona virus the possibility of passing over to other person is very less and other thing if we are vaccinated and we are affected by corona virus it will not lead you to death or any serious conditions. Covaxin and Covishield both are good but there will be slight symptoms in our body because the vaccination should work in our body to protect us from the corona virus. There is some time of interval between two vaccines because the World Health Organization recommends there must be an interval of 3 to 4 weeks, but now it is extended beyond one month. Mainly those who are moving out from your house and old age people because they will be easily affected. Government is making many steps and keeping a target to achieve the goal that all the people in our country should be vaccinated. As a first step for their goal they are making awareness in villages that all should vaccinate. We know that in the first wave of corona virus there was huge people were admitted and some were died in America but now there is no such a huge number because they have vaccinated nearly half of the people in their country they are not asking any proof they are vaccinating all so the number is stable. India’s economy is falling down because all are staying in home so no work the prices of each thing we buy from any shop is raising because each and every person has faced many difficulties in this corona virus second wave. There is no way we have to come out of our house and work but safety is very important for all these situation there is only one solution it is none other than vaccination without vaccination we cannot fight against this corona virus there is no medicine for this virus. We have this vaccination, masks, social distancing and washing hand. We are already following these if we vaccine we can lead our life happily and safely.Vaccination is a good thing which is saving our life from corona virus.

VACCINE IS THE BEST TO SAVE OUR LIVES.VACCINATION IS A KIT TO SAVE LIVES

Is it the end or the begining of new era.

“Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.” ~

Jack Kornfield

Life is not always meant to fill with bliss and happiness . It also has its demon and darkness . And we are unable to understand the consequences that can be happen in future .

This is what we are facing now and it’s popularity is all over the world . Well well .. we all met the celebrity i.e., known as “ CORONA VIRUSE ”

Yes yes I know how much amazed we all were when we get to know about it . The excitement leads to the death of 1/4 of a population . Let’s move on from the gossip girls .

“But you are involved in the world, and your actions have consequences for other people, and if you don’t recognize that, then that’s the supreme kind of cruelty. Everyone shares someone else’s fate to some extent.” ~

Malcolm Bradbury

Like a gentle men he is . Malcolm has distracted us from the main theory that is “ Every action has equal and opposite reaction ”

From the past decades , census has been directly pointing out the deterioration in Nature . It leads to the extinction of wild life . More than one million of species had been reportedly facing problem and extinct .

So what do you think . Is it a revenge that nature is taking in the form of corona virus ?

Or

Is it a lesson to the human kind for playing with the nature ?

Well in both questions we get one thing clearly that is human kind has to pay .

Based on the report by WHO more than 3.3 million people died due to COVID19 in January . Their are “excess death” of people which caused mass havoc in the mind of the people all over the world .

So where were we virus , death , human kind , extinction . Ohh yeah now I remember we were talking about the hate of nature for human beings . Ops , sorry . Don’t mind sometimes I just flow with sentiments .

Well , yeah we were talking about the devastation in the human world by nature .

I am not a socialist or a misanthrope . I loved nature as much as you do . But what we didn’t understand is that how much we hurt our environment . And when we come to the realisation .

It’s being like OJO run his lovely Siren on MOJO . What , who is Siren . Siren is OJO’s favourite truck . Yeah I know I am very funny .

Reality hits us with the truck in the form of COVID .

I really do talk about COVID in this editorial rather than I used in my daily life .

We need to recreate our life in the form that It will not harm the nature . I know it’s a tough time to speak about this but until we will not stop ourselves for our wrong doing . It will come back to us and hit it with the force that no human kind can protect themselves from the destruction.

Embrace a new perspective.

Let move together to the new world where we can live with nature

This given editorial is written under one’s perspective. I am not judging anyone’s decision . You have youern own perspective and i am standing with that .