India needs to vaccinate 70% of its population: Expert

"Ultimately, you have to develop the antibodies, either through an infection or through the vaccine," Dr Gilada said

Vaccination is the country's best answer to the pandemic as the Covid-19 virus is a “stable virus," according to infectious diseases specialist and leading HIV/AIDS consultant Dr I S Gilada

“Unlike the HIV virus, Covid-19 is a stable virus, and that is the reason why we could develop a vaccine,” he stated.

Explaining further, Dr Gilada said: “The Covid-19 virus does not change its antigenicity unlike the HIV virus, which has two different types, HIV 1 and HIV, and 4-5 different sub-types A, B, C, D, E and several sub-sub types such as A-1, A-2 and so on. This is why we are not able to develop a vaccine for HIV even after over three decades.”

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Asked whether it is better to get vaccinated if you are not infected, he said: “When we were children, our parents used to say it is better to get chicken pox or measles once as you will be immune for life. Today, there are chicken pox and measles vaccines, and we don’t let today’s children get infected so that they develop immunity. We do not want to take a chance now as a vaccine is available.”

Dr Gilada, President, AIDS Society of India (ASI) and Governing Council member of International AIDS Society (IAS), said immunity either through vaccines or through real infection ends up developing antibodies.

“People who get infection knowingly or unknowingly, whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic, they develop antibodies. That is how our body develops its own protection. If you don’t get the infection, we give the vaccine so that the body can develop antibodies. So, both are fine. Ultimately, you have to develop the antibodies, either through an infection or through the vaccine.”

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On the issue of herd immunity, he said: “In some places…Yes, particularly in the areas where there were a very large number of cases like in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In some pockets in these states, people are developing herd immunity.”

Dr Gilada said that in a country like India, we need to cover 70 per cent of the population by way of vaccination. “We need to vaccinate at least 70% of the population," he said adding that we must also take into consideration how effective the vaccine is. "If the efficacy of a vaccine is 50-60% and if you are immunising 50% the population, in effect only 25-30% of the population gets immunity. But if the efficacy of the vaccine is 90% and if you can vaccinate 70% of the population, it might help. Add to this those already infected and have their own immunity.”