Key Points:
- We have a plan to provide 30 crore individuals with vaccines by July of next year.
- The ICMR director general even said that although they act as a vaccine, masks will remain.
- The mask is like a vaccine made from cotton.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally examine the vaccine’s growth as well as production.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chief professor Balram Bhargava has stated that the health protocols put in place to fight coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will remain for a long time, and people will have to keep using masks even after a vaccine is available.
- Bhargava at KGMU webinar:
Dr Bhargava, speaking at a webinar hosted by the King George Medical University of Lucknow (KGMU), has said that India is making rapid progress in terms of the production of the Covid-19 vaccine. We have a plan to provide 30 crore individuals with vaccines by July of next year. After that, the potential course of action will be determined.
India, not only for itself but for 60% of developing nations, will develop a vaccine. The sister publication of the Hindustan Times, Hindustan, quoted prof Bhargava as stating on Saturday, twenty-four manufacturing units as well as 19 companies will be engaging in developing a Covid-19 vaccine.
The ICMR director general even said that although they act as a vaccine, masks will remain.
- Bhargava vaccine status:
“The mask is like a vaccine made from cotton. In preventing the spread of Covid-19, we should not disregard the contribution made by masks. We are working on vaccines, and in India, five candidates are being tested. Of these, two are being produced by India, three of which are from overseas.
But there won’t be enough vaccines to put an end to Covid-19. “In the webinar titled “Changing paradigms in Covid-19 management,” Dr Bhargava stated, “We will have to keep observing health as well as safety protocols.
He said masks have an important role to play in keeping those persons who have recovered from the infection healthy.
Mask will be important even after the vaccine:
Maybe they (masks) will never even go down. The vaccine will provide some protection, but it will be important to continue with masks or the fabric vaccine. “I don’t think these measures, including social distancing, can be abandoned,” said Prof Bhargava, who was asked, ruled out the possibility of another lockdown.
PM tour to 3 states:
The webinar took place on a day when a three-city visit to Pune, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad was conducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally examine the vaccine’s growth as well as production.
The visit of the Prime Minister to the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune, Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad as well as Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad was aimed at having a first-hand view of the plans, obstacles, and roadmap for the country’s efforts to vaccinate its people.
India Covid cases:
To date, as many as 93,51,110 Covid-19 cases, including 87,59,969 recoveries as well as 4,54,940 active cases, have been registered, according to the Union Ministry of Health.
