Medical scientist Gagandeep on Covid Vaccine: “Protection may be incomplete”

Dr Gagandeep Kang, one of India’s prominent medical scientists and former Chairperson of an ICMR panel on Covid drugs and vaccines, sheds light on the probable challenges of vaccine development before it reaches the audience, through video conference on zoom to a mediaspokeperson.

Gagandeep assumes that it is highly likely to get a vaccine but may not have guaranteed results. “We have very good statistical data on immunogenicity, we have encouraging data from previous research in primate models, which implies that some of the vaccines that have been assesed in those systems do prevent severe disease.

So that’s all very good, but we have been led astray by animals studies before, so until we have data from humans, I would not be taking bets on it”, she stated.

Speaking about the pricing, the medical scientist told that vaccines developed by multinational manufacturers would cost high and opined if a vaccine is more than $3 a dose, individuals can’t afford. Gagandeep said Manufacturers are booking the facilities for launch even before getting the safety data from trials, which even Serum institute and many manufacturers from Russia and China too are doing to avail the vaccine in advance.

The scientist said even after vaccination, we’ll have to roam with caution and make people aware that, though they get vaccinated, protection may be incomplete as covid vaccine is still not proven to be effective.