Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Nov 17: Director-General of World Health Organization TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus stating that the vaccine won’t end the COVID-19 pandemic is a hint that the virus is not going to go so soon.
An expert while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “The latest statement of the WHO chief cannot be brushed aside. It needs to be taken seriously. If the vaccine doesn’t work it would put the world in a tight spot. Many countries have once again gone into a lockdown mode as the COVID cases have increased.”
He said that Tedros has made it explicitly clear that even after the vaccine comes, people will have to take precautions and the testing needs to continue. “The companies that are manufacturing the vaccine are claiming that the doses being prepared by them are more than 90% effective but we cannot be sure about the efficacy of these vaccines till these doses are administered to the large scale population,” he added.
A medico said that the alert sounded by the WHO chief is a message to the entire world that the COVID-19 is going to stay for a longtime and it cannot be ignored. “The vaccine won’t end the pandemic but its emergence would mean that the cure to get rid of the pestilence has been found,” the medico added.
He said, “We need to be optimistic as during the past nine months we have witnessed enough of pessimism. The vaccine is a ray of hope and all of us are waiting for it eagerly. The WHO chief has warned that it alone won’t serve any purpose but he hasn’t ruled out its positive effects. Precautions are a must and these have to be taken without any complacency.”
The COVID vaccines require very low temperatures to remain effective. “The vaccine which is based on a novel technology that uses synthetic messenger RNA to activate the immune system against the virus needs to be kept at minus 70 degree Celsius or below to ensure vaccine remains potent and safe,” said, Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan, flu expert and president of Doctors Association of Kashmir.
Another expert said, “After the vaccine comes we have to ensure that it remains potent. To do so we need proper infrastructure and cold storage facilities. J&K administration needs to formulate a plan to ensure that vaccines remain effective. If these vaccines are not handled properly we may not get the desired results.”
He said that the statement of the WHO chief needs to be analyzed. “War to defeat COVID-19 will commence the day vaccinations start. Having the vaccine is winning a battle and not the war,” the expert added.
‘To get results COVID-19 vaccine needs to be handled with care’
