The Lead: A talk on Covid-19 vaccines with Dr Rajesh Parikh

In this episode, Dr Rajesh Parikh, author of the book 'The Vaccine Book for Covid-19', talks about vaccines.

Ahmed Shariff: As the second wave of the pandemic grips India, there is only one solution in sight: Vaccine. Come May 1, those above 18 in India will be eligible for the vaccine. To talk about vaccine today we have Dr Rajesh Parikh, who has recently authored the book titled 'The Vaccine Book for Covid-19.' Dr Parikh is the Director of Medical Research and Hon. Neuropsychiatrist at the Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre. He is an adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine and a former WHO Global Expert on Depression. Trained at the Seth G.S. Medical College and the K.E.M. Hospital, Mumbai and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr Parikh with Harvard Medical School, conducted a large study on stress and depression among college students in Boston and Mumbai.

Hi, Dr Parikh and welcome to DH Radio.

Dr Rajesh M Parikh: Hi, Ahmed. It's a pleasure to be with you.

Ahmed: We all know that vaccines are important and there is no doubt about it. The first question has two parts. The attenuated virus; the vaccines which have the concept of attenuated virus seem to be the more effective ones and why are they no vaccines for Covid-19 under this category? — this is the first. And the second: Have not experimented like (Edward) Jenner, looking at similar viruses which are less virulent but produce an effective immune response that can attack the SARS-COV-II virus?

Dr Parikh: As you are aware, but I'm not sure if all our listeners are aware that an attenuated virus is a weakened virus; a tweaked version of the same virus. For example, in Polio or historically in smallpox. Well, smallpox (vaccine) was not exactly attenuated because they used the cowpox virus, but polio (vaccine) was an attenuated or weakened virus. The great advantage of attenuated virus is that because we are using the weakened version of the same virus, the immunity lasts for a very long time, almost lifelong...

To know more about the conversation, listen to the Podcast.