JOIN USThe Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has rightly been slammed by scientists and medical experts for setting a deadline of August 15 for launching a vaccine for Covid-19. The ICMR has tried to wriggle out of the bad and embarrassing situation it created for itself by issuing a clarification that its letter to 12 hospitals to start clinical trials by July 7 was meant to “cut unnecessary red tape’’. This is not convincing because the ICMR’s original directive, written by its Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava, had told the hospitals to fast-track all approvals, and warned them that “non-compliance would be viewed very strictly’’. It also said that it was “a top priority project being monitored at the topmost level’’. It had even named the vaccine Covaxin, being jointly developed with the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.
It is unthinkable that the country’s apex medical research body would set a few weeks’ deadline to develop and launch a vaccine for a disease like Covid-19, which is still being studied. The best research establishments in the world are trying to find one, and dozens of candidate vaccines and drugs are under development. The most optimistic target date is late this year or next year. It may take a longer time, too. Vaccine development has to go through various stages and it has to be ensured that it is safe, effective and does not have any side-effects. It demands a lot of experimentation, time and careful work and monitoring, always governed by caution. It has to be first tried on a small number of people and then on larger numbers, and it may take months for the results to be known. Some rules on testing and trials have been relaxed by regulatory bodies in the race for a Covid-19 vaccine, but the process itself cannot be short-circuited, as the ICMR tried to do.
A hastily produced vaccine can do much damage, sometimes more than the disease. Every year, there are cases of drug companies having to recall medicines and sometimes paying huge compensation for the sale of wrong or faulty medicines. Failure of a vaccine or a drug may also lead to loss of trust in research bodies. The ICMR’s handling of vaccine research may also show what is wrong with India’s scientific research. Politics of any kind should be kept away from scientific research and endeavours. Give freedom, facilities and time to scientists and researchers, and do not coerce them to show results by August 15 or a certain leader’s birthday. The country’s premier medical research body cannot conduct itself the way it has.