THD NewsDesk, Hyderabad: A conference conducted at the Genome Valley, Hyderabad, facilitated a discussion on the theme, “COVID-19 vaccine and science” on the 4th of August, 2020.
In the last couple of months, the shape of the world has altered from head to toe. Amidst the lockdowns, the demises, the crowded hospitals, the fear of the virus, the unemployment, the financial drain, and the mental and emotional toll, the only hope we are all sustained by is the hope of the vaccine.
The recently conducted conference on the 4th of August 2020 at the Genome Valley in Hyderabad on “Covid-19 vaccine and science” had Dr. Krishna Ella, the managing director of Bharat Biotech International Limited as a participating speaker.
The other notable participants were KT Rama Rao, the current Telangana information technology minister who also moderated the meeting, while the WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was also seen participating through a webinar.
Ella proclaimed that the vaccine for COVID-19 labeled “Covaxin” once established would cost less than a water bottle but later clarified that he was referring to other vaccines. Rao further added that the vaccine could take anywhere between six or nine months to one year before hitting the market.
The keynotes of the conference were that drug companies like the Biological E, Indian Immunological, and Bharat Biotech International Limited exhibited that they might put their best brains at work and harmonize together to amplify the quantity and enhance the quality of the vaccine manufacture.
Another distinguished guest, Mahima Datla, who is the senior vice-president of the Biological E expressed the ability of her company to produce 80-100 million doses per month. Anand Kumar, the managing director of Indian Immunological proposed that his company would render supplementary resources and facilities to fasten the pace of production and enhance the manufacturing rate.
Ella went on to gracefully articulate that although there exists a virtual race for the production of vaccines, the biotech and pharmaceutical industry stands together firmly against Coronavirus.
He later urged the government to decentralize the clearance process for the vaccine development and in order to arrange regional offices of administrative and regulatory bodies in the respective states rather than just directing everything towards the Capital of New Delhi. He also pointed out at the ability and skill of Hyderabad by mentioning that 70% of the Indian vaccines are from Hyderabad.
He added that there has been significant progress in the journey of vaccination production against COVID-19. The quality and procedure of preparing it would be constant and uniform throughout the globe, he said.
The conference also facilitated the deliberation and criticism of the government on the failure of the decentralization of the authority of vaccine production and distribution to the regional regulatory offices so far. Another one of the primary concerns driven to light was the critique towards the Central government to only treat this pandemic from the sight of health. He asserted that the neglected aspects of the aftermath of the catastrophic devastation of the economy and hunger and starvation are a grave challenge too.
