EDITOR ’ S DESK
COVID CURBS AND MANAGEMENT OF JABS IN INDIA
The second wave of covid-19 in India is spreading further and proving more dangerous as compared to the first wave that occurred in 2020 . New covid cases are scaling records though the country seems to be at some distance from the peak . Daily infections and fatalities are continuously rising . A high positive rate of infection is going undeterred . There is a sudden spurt in covid cases since March 31 , 2021 . The pandemic is spreading beyond metros and big cities . More and more states are seeing a surge . Out of a total of 28 states in India 10 states showing Daily cases crossing earlier peaks , six states are just nearing past peaks and 12 states have seen a clear uptrend . Large-scale violations of various curbs laid down by states like wearing mask , maintaining social distance and washing hands regularly are not being followed by the people . The large-scale public meetings held during recent elections in some states in flagrant violations of these basics , organizing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar inviting 35 lakhs devotees and huge unwanted crowd in various celebrations have added fuel to the fire of corona epidemic . Covid vaccination is being done fast totaling to 10.85 crores , Rajasthan and Maharashtra have vaccinated more than 1 crore population . Odisha , Andhra Pradesh , Chhattisgarh , Haryana , UP , Uttarakhand , West Bengal and Telangana are raising the issue of short supply of vaccine doses . However , the States should see consumption pattern of vaccines in districts consuming more and districts consuming less . There should be no wastage of vaccines and vaccines should be reappropriated where necessary between districts . However , the Government of India is doing its best to increase the supply of vaccine in the country . Many companies manufacturing vaccines have been asked to increase production
and speed up the supplies . The government is moving fast and flexible on its vaccination program . The latest announcement by the GOI states that vaccine- makers will be able to sell at a pre-declared price half of their output to state governments and private entities , hospitals and enterprises seeking to inoculate , their own employees or anyone over 18 years of age , the remaining half of output will go to GOI for continuation of its vaccination program . The market would be allowed to operate for import of vaccines or their manufacture in India by Indian or foreign producers to scale up the supplies . India has decided to grant emergency use authorization to those covid-19 vaccines that have received similar approval in the US , UK , Europe , and Japan so that the availability of vaccines is increased amid burgeoning infection in the country . The companies like Johnson & Johnson , Pfizer , and Moderna have been specifically invited to seek immediate approval for use in India . This will compress timelines considerably . It is a very liberal regulatory step to increase the availability of vaccines . J & J ' s single-shot vaccine is of special interest as it has a local manufacturing partner , Biological E , although the US has suspended its use due to the blood clots in some recipients . The first 100 beneficiaries of such vaccines will be assessed for 7 days on safety outcomes before the jabs are rolled out further within the country . Emergency use of vaccines within three working days will be allowed mandating the requirement of postapproval parallel bridging clinical trials in place of conducting local clinical trials as per existing rules . Let us hope by the end of June 2021 , India will have sufficient doses of vaccines .
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Economic Challenger // ISSN 0975-1351 / Issue 91 , April-June 2021