India Coronavirus Dispatch: What happens in a vaccination dry run?

Bharat Biotech's pitch for volunteers raises concerns, woes of sanitation workers, how the top court ruled on pandemic matters-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

Here is what happens in a Covid-19 vaccination dry run

As India inches closer to rolling out the vaccine, the government kicked off a two-day dry run on Monday in four states. So, what happens in a dry run? How is it carried out? A report in The Quint explains. 

The dry run began in Punjab, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. The purpose of the dry run is to identify gaps in the process and remedy them before the actual drive begins, expected to be early next year. The dry run process will include all the steps except for the actual vaccination, the report said. The drill will include registration of the beneficiary on the government's Co-Win app, testing the allocation of vaccination site, the process to be followed at the site of vaccination, and testing cold storage and transportation arrangements. Read more here

Bharat Biotech’s pitch for volunteers raises concerns

Three drugmakers are seeking emergency-use authorisation for their Covid-19 vaccine candidates in India. One of them, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, has courted controversy for its pitch to potential volunteers, according to a report in ThePrint.

The controversy is around an FAQ (frequently asked questions) document prepared by the company that is meant to provide answers to common questions regarding the trials. One of the questions listed is: “Why should I participate in the Phase 3 Efficacy Trial for Covaxin and get vaccinated when the government announced that persons above the age of 50 years will be vaccinated shortly?” In its answer, the document recommends that principal investigators should tell recruits that the vaccine will protect them from Covid-19. The firm also wants volunteers aged over 50 to be told that it is “advisable” for them to take part in the trial since it may take months for the government to reach them even if they are identified as a priority group.

Some experts objected since the vaccine candidate promises to be effective against Covid-19 even though trials are incomplete. They pointed out that some recruits will be given only a placebo. Read more here

OPINION: Why are sanitation workers missing from vaccination plan?

Hundreds of thousands of solid waste management workers put their health and lives on the line to clear the biomedical waste generated amid the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the workers find no mention as vaccination recipients in the ‘Covid-19 Vaccination Guidelines’ recently released by the government, according to an opinion piece in ThePrint. 

While sanitation workers are entitled to protective gear on paper, in reality, millions of them work without any gear. With household waste turning into biomedical waste, hundreds of workers have already been infected, says Akhileshwari Reddy, a Research Fellow at Vidhi in Karnataka. The workers must be vaccinated on a priority basis as a recognition of their contribution and the risks they had to take, Reddy says. Read more here

Expert panel may convene this week to examine Serum Institute's emergency-use request

An expert committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national regulatory body for Indian pharmaceuticals and medical devices, is likely to convene this week to examine Serum Institute of India’s emergency-use authorisation application for Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine, according to a report in Hindustan Times citing people familiar with the matter.

It is likely that Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine candidate may be the first to be granted emergency-use approval in India. Pfizer may be asked to conduct a small bridging study among the Indian population to know the vaccine candidate’s effect among the local population, the report said. Read more here

Judgements from the top court in matters related to Covid-19

From the migrant crisis to the cancellation of school and university exams, the Supreme Court of India passed many judgements and orders on subjects related to Covid-19. This report in LiveLaw summarises the most important of those. Read more