The Big Question: Can India Find a Way Out of Its
Covid Nightmare?
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-05-02/the-big-question-can-india-find-a-way-out-of-its-covid-nightmare
Virologist Shahid Jameel (head of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at the Ashoka University):
“India started vaccinating at the right time, because we were at the low point in our daily caseload — that was in the middle of January. Unfortunately, at that time, there was this constant narrative that India had done so well, that India was out of it. It made people careless. Many didn’t seek vaccination, including doctors and healthcare workers, who were the first group to be given the vaccine.
Right around that time, there were reports that the AstraZeneca vaccine was causing blood clots in Europe. That contributed significantly to vaccine hesitancy here. As you know, most of the doses being given in India are of Covishield (the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by Serum Institute), so that really affected us quite a bit.
By the time people got around to accepting the vaccine, the surge had started….
And there really needs to be a different model of funding for some of these things. I am not an economist, but I can see that vaccine equity is a challenge. Some countries have reserved enough to vaccinate five times their population, whereas others can barely manage 20% of their population. But with infectious diseases, if anyone, anywhere, is left unprotected, then no one anywhere is protected”.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-05-02/the-big-question-can-india-find-a-way-out-of-its-covid-nightmare
Virologist Shahid Jameel (head of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at the Ashoka University):
“India started vaccinating at the right time, because we were at the low point in our daily caseload — that was in the middle of January. Unfortunately, at that time, there was this constant narrative that India had done so well, that India was out of it. It made people careless. Many didn’t seek vaccination, including doctors and healthcare workers, who were the first group to be given the vaccine.
Right around that time, there were reports that the AstraZeneca vaccine was causing blood clots in Europe. That contributed significantly to vaccine hesitancy here. As you know, most of the doses being given in India are of Covishield (the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by Serum Institute), so that really affected us quite a bit.
By the time people got around to accepting the vaccine, the surge had started….
And there really needs to be a different model of funding for some of these things. I am not an economist, but I can see that vaccine equity is a challenge. Some countries have reserved enough to vaccinate five times their population, whereas others can barely manage 20% of their population. But with infectious diseases, if anyone, anywhere, is left unprotected, then no one anywhere is protected”.
What India’s Viral Misery Is Telling Us
https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-indias-viral-misery-is-telling-us-11619815939
https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-indias-viral-misery-is-telling-us-11619815939
WHO blames ‘perfect storm’ of factors for India Covid crisis