We cannot accept a situation where the rich have the vaccine and not the poor, official said
New Delhi:
Policymakers are actively holding deliberations to identify the groups of people who will first receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it is developed, officials said.
Speaking at an international symposium on innovative ideas in the science and ethics of vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic, Special Missions Officer (OSD) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Rajesh Bhushan , said the priority of who should get the vaccine first was a matter of discussion. both inside and outside government.
“There is an emerging consensus that frontline workers are the people who have the best right to who should get the vaccine first. But although this question engages us and there is no finality on the question, the question of who will be on the priority list and who comes after the frontline health workers and that is, if they come first, then who are the people who would follow them ” , did he declare.
He said deliberations are on whether it will be the elderly or those with co-morbidities or whether they will be socio-economically disadvantaged individuals whose immunity has been weakened due to exposure. prolonged to poverty and malnutrition.
“So these are the issues that are currently engaging policy makers in the Indian government,” he said.
NITI Aayog member VK Paul, who is also on the national COVID-19 task force, said policymakers are actively deliberating to prioritize which groups of people will receive the COVID-19 vaccine first once they are released. it will be developed.
“India’s journey for a safe, effective and affordable COVID-19 vaccine will be guided by the best scientific and ethical principles and for this our regulatory and scientific mechanisms are already in place,” he said at the symposium .
He said India’s journey towards scaling up and universal access to vaccines will be in full compliance with high principles of equity and human rights.
“We cannot accept a situation where the rich have the vaccine and not the poor. This is simply unacceptable. We will ensure that pathways are created. We are also working actively to prioritize the groups who should receive the vaccine. vaccine before the other group and those decisions are being discussed, ”he added.
Paul said India was visualizing its capabilities against COVID-19, including vaccines, not just for the country and its citizens, but for the world and humanity.
“The Indian government values and welcomes international partnerships, technical exchanges, knowledge sharing and collective discourse in this trip,” said Paul.
Indian Institute of Medical Research (ICMR) Managing Director Balram Bhargava said that once a safe and effective vaccine is developed, there will be four major challenges.
“One is prioritization and equitable distribution to vulnerable groups, the second is the logistics of vaccine deployment, including the cold chain, and the third is storage and the fourth is training of people who will administer this vaccine. “, did he declare.
“In the context of these four points, India will have to play an important role and I can assure you that it is a role that India will play with great care and responsibility. This will require immense cross-border collaboration keeping in mind the noblest principles of science. and humanity, ”he added.
Stressing that the need for a vaccine is both great and urgent, Bhargava said a dilemma is that the pandemic is unfolding at a devastating rate and that to develop a vaccine it takes time and it is not. only for science, but ethics and regulatory and social considerations to keep in mind.
“We have to crystallize a mix and match of these ideas which can work in parallel with the right balance between speed and safety. A balance between speed and safety has to be maintained once we crystallize new ideas,” he said. .
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
