Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 11: Russia registering the first COVID-19 vaccine has made people hopeful about world becoming virus free soon, but the health organizations and experts don’t seem that convinced.
The WHO had last week urged Russia to follow established guidelines and go “through all the stages” necessary to develop a safe vaccine.
Experts said they were concerned that not enough was known about Russia’s research.
“There seems to be rather little detail thus far on Russian (vaccine) candidates. The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective could exacerbate our current problems insurmountably,” the NDTV quoted Danny Altmann, a professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, as having said.
President of Doctors Association of Kashmir and flu expert Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “No vaccine can be 100% effective and we don’t know how long would its immunity last?”
Dr Hassan said, “Since the day pandemic has broken out the virus has behaved erratically. No one can predict whether the vaccine will give protection or not. It’s too early to comment. But people need to bear one thing in mind that even if vaccine starts showing results they will have to maintain social distance, wear masks and take care of their hand hygiene. Only time will tell us whether vaccine will work or not.”
Another medico said, “Concerns which have been raised by the experts are genuine and cannot be ignored. But the vaccine which has been manufactured could be a glimmer of hope. If it works it will act as an anti-dode for COVID-19 and will provide much needed respite. But the prerequisite for the vaccine to be successful is that it should provide immunity. If it provides false security it can create havoc across the world.”
He said, “At present members of the medical fraternity are fighting the COVID-19 with bare hands. They don’t have any specific medicine or any guaranteed treatment to cure the COVID patients. The anti viral drugs and the plasma therapy are working on hit and trail basis. If the vaccine works it will be a big breakthrough and it will allow life to return to its normal. For a country like India, which has got huge population, the vaccine is the only solution and for things to come back on track sense of security has to prevail. The COVID-19 has made all of us insecure and we are living under fear. Everyone is hoping that the vaccine manufactured by Russia will work and our miseries will end.”
