Knowledge drive: Vaccine hopes within the new yr

AstraZeneca’s vaccine has received emergency authorisation in the UK. On Friday, the subject expert committee recommended Covishield vaccine for EUA. The new year provides a ray of hope as, amidst a rise in cases, vaccination efforts are also picking up pace in various countries. In UK, till December 24, 8 lakh people had been vaccinated. In the US, vaccination efforts have been provided to 21 lakh people. Given the early stages of vaccine rollout cover only the healthcare staff, frontline workers and elderly, it is safe to assume that fatality rates will reduce drastically in the coming months. In India too, the government plans to vaccinate the healthcare and frontline workers first along with senior citizens. However, the real test for countries would start once this cohort is vaccinated. Relying on algorithms may prove risky as these have historically shown bias towards one or the other community. The extent of transmissibility will also be determined by how fast the government is able to cover a large chunk of population.