Editorial: Between the devil and deep sea

Latvia and Sweden were the latest among the nations that backtracked on the vaccine. The withdrawal had taken place even as the head of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) remarked that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh the apprehensions. On Thursday, EMA assuaged these fears, saying experts have concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine has not been linked to an increased risk of blood clots. The finding has paved the way for the resumption of vaccinations in European nations that had suspended them, with Germany and Italy being the first to lift the suspensions on Friday.

It may be recalled that Denmark was the first nation to put the AstraZeneca vaccine on hold after reports emerged that recipients had developed blood clots post-inoculation and the death of one recipient who developed multiple clots and died 10 days after receiving the shot. Responding to the embargoes, AstraZeneca said it reviewed data on 17 mn people in Europe who had been inoculated of which 37 cases confirmed blood clots. The company defended itself saying the number of those affected by clots was much lower than what would be expected in populations of this size, and that it was more or less similar across other licenced vaccines.

Sources in India’s health ministry have also said that there have been no cases of blood clotting reported in the country, and it’s out of the question that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be withdrawn, without taking into consideration empirical scientific evidence. Thailand is the only non-European nation to have suspended the usage of this vaccine. The development has thrown a proverbial spanner in the works for vaccination in many nations.

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India had been tasked with providing India with the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, or Covishield, which along with Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin made up for India’s arsenal against the coronavirus. Earlier this week, the Centre had placed a new purchase order with SII to supply 10 cr doses of Covishield at the cost of Rs 157.50 each (including GST). The Health Ministry will bear the cost of these vaccines, as part of the budgetary allocation. The PM Cares Fund had borne the expenditure for earlier orders of these vaccines.

Here in India, we are faced with a double dilemma. On the one hand, the cases across a few states are spiking, with 40,000 fresh cases being reported on Thursday. On the other, there’s the predicament around vaccines. Nations in Europe might have the luxury of being able to choose from a pool of vaccine candidates, but it not so in developing nations and in India where the pocket-friendly price of the vaccine and its easier handling has ensured that it can be supplied free of cost by government hospitals.

For the record, India has just about administered 32 million doses and has set a target for 300 million doses by August, which is also when it is expected that the Indian vaccine market will be fully privatised. This implies that free-market economics is set to take over by then, and essentially offer those with the wherewithal a vaccine of their choice, at a cost of course. However, till that happens, a slowdown in inoculation could only lead to more vaccine hesitancy and a higher count of human lives.