HOUSTON: The launch of Covid-19 vaccines by India, in collaboration with top global institutions, has “saved the world” from the deadly coronavirus, and the country’s contributions should not be underestimated, said a top American scientist.
India is called the pharmacy of the world during the Covid-19 pandemic, with its vast experience and deep knowledge in medicine. The country is one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world and a growing number of countries have already approached it to purchase coronavirus vaccines.
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, during a recent webinar, said the two mRNA vaccines could not impact low- and middle-income countries in the world. , but vaccines in India, developed in collaboration with universities around the world, such as BCM and Oxford University, have “saved the world” and its contributions should not be underestimated.
During the webinar, “Covid-19: Vaccination and Potential Return to Normalcy – If and When,” Dr. Hotez, an internationally recognized scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development, said the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine 19 is “India” gift “to the world in the fight against the virus.
The Indian Drug Regulatory Authority granted the emergency use license Covishield, produced by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Serum, after obtaining a license from the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Covaxin, jointly developed by scientists in Bharat Hyderabad-based biotech and Indian Medical Research Council scientists.
The webinar was organized by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in Greater Houston (IACCGH).
“This is something very special and I see it myself, because I am at weekly teleconferences with our colleagues in India, you make a recommendation, and in a few days it is done and not only it is done, but it is done well and with rigor and incredible thinking and creativity, “said Dr. Hotez, stressing that he feels compelled to make the statement because” India’s huge efforts to fight the global pandemic are a story that doesn’t really come out in the world. ”
Dr. Hotez, considered the authority for vaccinations, is working on an accessible coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with Indian pharmaceutical companies.
There is growing evidence that vaccines not only “interrupt symptomatic disease and keep you out of the hospital,” but also stop asymptomatic transmission. However, the worrying news is that vaccines work well against variant B.1.1.7 in the UK, which is now accelerating in the US, but do not work as well against the variant coming out of South Africa.
All vaccines are likely to require a recall for two reasons: the durability of vaccine protection is unknown and to create an additional immune response, better adapted to the South African variant.
The Consul General of India in Houston, Aseem Mahajan, together with a distinguished group of doctors attended this webinar, which looked at the possibilities of returning to a certain appearance of normalcy due to the accelerated launch of vaccines across the country.
Thanking Dr. Hotez for praising India’s efforts to bring vaccines to the world, Consul General Mahajan said: “In accordance with our tradition of sharing with the world, India has exported vaccines to many countries around the world.”
India has provided 56 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines in aid to several countries. The vaccines have been sent to Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and the Seychelles.
There has also been a boost in the collaborative medical partnerships that are emerging between the US and India during this pandemic. In addition, India is one of the largest destinations in Asia for the production of medical devices and many American companies have expressed interest in collaborating on this front, Mahajan said.
IACCGH Founding Secretary / Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia said that “India’s response to the Covid crisis, as Dr Hotez acknowledged, is in line with the Chamber’s vision. Since its inception 21 years ago, India has been a future global player in key areas such as technology, medicine, manufacturing and international trade. This belief has been proven countless times, especially in the last decade. ”
The Speaker of the Chamber, Tarush Anand, expressed his pride that India has risen to this global challenge by capitalizing on the brilliance of its scientific community and expanded production capacity in the most efficient way to help the world recover from a deadly pandemic.
Describing vaccines as “one of the highest expressions of science in pursuing humanitarian goals,” chief radiotherapy officer and moderator Dr. Vivek Kavadi said more than 28 million people had contracted the virus in the United States and more than half one million Americans died tragically. . Lives and business had been turned upside down, but progress on the vaccine front was one of the reasons for cautious optimism.
To date, more than 73 million doses of the vaccine have been given, 15% of the population has received one dose, while 7% have received both doses, said Dr. Kavadi.
India is called the pharmacy of the world during the Covid-19 pandemic, with its vast experience and deep knowledge in medicine. The country is one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world and a growing number of countries have already approached it to purchase coronavirus vaccines.
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, during a recent webinar, said the two mRNA vaccines could not impact low- and middle-income countries in the world. , but vaccines in India, developed in collaboration with universities around the world, such as BCM and Oxford University, have “saved the world” and its contributions should not be underestimated.
During the webinar, “Covid-19: Vaccination and Potential Return to Normalcy – If and When,” Dr. Hotez, an internationally recognized scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development, said the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine 19 is “India” gift “to the world in the fight against the virus.
The Indian Drug Regulatory Authority granted the emergency use license Covishield, produced by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Serum, after obtaining a license from the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Covaxin, jointly developed by scientists in Bharat Hyderabad-based biotech and Indian Medical Research Council scientists.
The webinar was organized by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in Greater Houston (IACCGH).
“This is something very special and I see it myself, because I am at weekly teleconferences with our colleagues in India, you make a recommendation, and in a few days it is done and not only it is done, but it is done well and with rigor and incredible thinking and creativity, “said Dr. Hotez, stressing that he feels compelled to make the statement because” India’s huge efforts to fight the global pandemic are a story that doesn’t really come out in the world. ”
Dr. Hotez, considered the authority for vaccinations, is working on an accessible coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with Indian pharmaceutical companies.
There is growing evidence that vaccines not only “interrupt symptomatic disease and keep you out of the hospital,” but also stop asymptomatic transmission. However, the worrying news is that vaccines work well against variant B.1.1.7 in the UK, which is now accelerating in the US, but do not work as well against the variant coming out of South Africa.
All vaccines are likely to require a recall for two reasons: the durability of vaccine protection is unknown and to create an additional immune response, better adapted to the South African variant.
The Consul General of India in Houston, Aseem Mahajan, together with a distinguished group of doctors attended this webinar, which looked at the possibilities of returning to a certain appearance of normalcy due to the accelerated launch of vaccines across the country.
Thanking Dr. Hotez for praising India’s efforts to bring vaccines to the world, Consul General Mahajan said: “In accordance with our tradition of sharing with the world, India has exported vaccines to many countries around the world.”
India has provided 56 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines in aid to several countries. The vaccines have been sent to Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and the Seychelles.
There has also been a boost in the collaborative medical partnerships that are emerging between the US and India during this pandemic. In addition, India is one of the largest destinations in Asia for the production of medical devices and many American companies have expressed interest in collaborating on this front, Mahajan said.
IACCGH Founding Secretary / Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia said that “India’s response to the Covid crisis, as Dr Hotez acknowledged, is in line with the Chamber’s vision. Since its inception 21 years ago, India has been a future global player in key areas such as technology, medicine, manufacturing and international trade. This belief has been proven countless times, especially in the last decade. ”
The Speaker of the Chamber, Tarush Anand, expressed his pride that India has risen to this global challenge by capitalizing on the brilliance of its scientific community and expanded production capacity in the most efficient way to help the world recover from a deadly pandemic.
Describing vaccines as “one of the highest expressions of science in pursuing humanitarian goals,” chief radiotherapy officer and moderator Dr. Vivek Kavadi said more than 28 million people had contracted the virus in the United States and more than half one million Americans died tragically. . Lives and business had been turned upside down, but progress on the vaccine front was one of the reasons for cautious optimism.
To date, more than 73 million doses of the vaccine have been given, 15% of the population has received one dose, while 7% have received both doses, said Dr. Kavadi.