DNA Exclusive: Covisheild vaccine finally gets emergency use approval; check all details

New Delhi: Although there are 2.54 lakh active COVID-19 cases in the country, people are partying and praying without social distancing on the new year as they think that the vaccine is not far away. They, however, need to take precaution as the recent new strain of coronavirus, that spread 70 percent faster, has already reached India from Britain. 

The indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, Covisheild, has already been recommended for emergency use and it will reach people in a few days, but its side effects have scared people. The DNA report will try to help you overcome this fear.

First of all, you should understand the meaning of emergency use. The government is responsibility-bound to deliver safe and appropriate medicine to you, while the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) gives the certificate for the purity of medicines. The DCGI investigates the claims of pharmaceutical companies and this decision is taken after looking at reports of human trials.

The process to manufacture a safe vaccine has a long process, and it takes 8 to 10 years. Prior to completion of this process, if the decision is taken for its use, then it called emergency use authorization.

The coronavirus is nearly a year old disease and the process to prepare its vaccine has been completed in comparatively less time, while trials and experiments are still on. As we know it is a contagious and fatal disease, the arrival of a new strain has created a situation, wherein, emergency use of the vaccine is being allowed. Emergency use is required to check the high number of deaths. 

This simply means that the vaccine has already been tested, and this process will continue despite its production. The vaccine is safe, but how safe it would depend on the outcome of the data.

The double dose Covishield vaccine is reported to be 69 percent successful, but this is its efficacy, not effectiveness. The efficacy means the vaccine has been found to have cured 7 out of every 10 people during the trial. The more people will be cured the more effectiveness of the vaccine will be proved. The trial is conducted on healthy people, but this will be given to crores of people to ascertain its real effectiveness.

The government has made all preparations for the vaccination but the real challenge lies in removing fear from the minds of people. A survey conducted on 11,000 people in the country has revealed some startling facts. 

The good thing is that 5 out of every 10 people want to get this vaccine and they are waiting. Four out of every 10 people are apprehensive of this vaccine, and prior to the vaccination, they want to have all the updates. 

There are other people who completely mistrust the vaccine, and do not want to have this vaccine. One out of every 10 people does not want this vaccination. Compared to youth, older people are more scared, and six out of every 10 do not favour this vaccination. This report will try to help you overcome your fear by answering a few most common questions.

How safe is this vaccine?

The vaccine has been used on thousands of people prior to its approval, which is given only after scientists/experts are confident of its being completely safe. So far, it has been tested on more than 30 lakh people across the world, and very few of them have faced problems. 

After vaccination, people will be kept under observation for 30 minutes in India. If anyone has any problem then he would immediately be treated, but such chances scanty.

People are curious to know if they will be safe after the first dose of vaccination?.

People should know they will have to take two doses of the vaccine and their body will be immune to the coronavirus after 14 days of the second dose. Even after vaccination, you will have to use a facemask, follow social distancing, and use hand sanitizer.

How long this vaccine will protect us from the coronavirus infection?

According to researches so far, the effect of the vaccine will remain for six months. The scientists, however, are of the view that this vaccine will strengthen our immunity for many years to come. More research is needed to come to a conclusion.

Notably, the government has decided to send this vaccine to states through the air route. From the airport, it will be transported through a refrigerated vehicle to cold rooms, where vaccines will be kept in ice boxes and then transported to health centers. 

At health centers, the vaccines will be stored at a temperature of 2 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius, and then it will be transported to vaccination camps in small iceboxes. This whole process will be monitored through GPS.

In the first phase, doctors, nurses, and other health workers will be vaccinated. The second phase will cover police personnel, journalists, sanitation workers, and people above 50 years, while sick people below 50 years will be vaccinated in the third phase.