Too Much Of A Good Thing...

Thinking long term to ensure that huge amounts of vaccines are not wasted, manufacturers need to have a far-sightedness and not just go on a production spree.

- Sanjiv Das

During the first half of 2021 vaccine D manufacturers were on a spree to launch their products anticipating that public apprehension will remain the same in 2022 as it was there in 2019 when COVID-19 struck. Three years down the line it is a different story altogether. Indian manufacturers Serum Institute of India (SID) and Bharat Biotech have now decided to stop manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines altogether due to hesitancy among the general public.

During the recently held annual general meeting of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) in Pune India), Adar Poonawala, CEO, SI, was quoted saying To be honest, I am fed up with COVID vaccines.”

The COVID-19 vaccination drive began on January 16, 2020, with much fanfare and in 2022 it all fizzled out. The Government of India announced a free booster campaign from July 15 to September 30, 2022. More than 150 million adults received booster doses. More than 95 million people between 18 and 45 years received precautionary doses till September 29, according to the Health Ministry. The count of people between 45 and 60 years who have taken their boosters has increased 12-fold from 3.7 million up to July 15 to 48 million on September 29.

Despite all the moves, it was found that large proportions of eligible adults shied away from f booster doses where only 95 million opted f for booster doses out of the 515 million that went in for the second dose.

Way back in 2020

It was in the year 2020 when 30 vaccine projects were initiated in India. India adopted a cross-functional collaborative approach, globally and locally, wherein currently 30 vaccine projects are afoot against COVID-19.