Tarun Chugh
The world is currently battling the dreadful pandemic which has become a grave threat to human life. This is caused by a monstrous virus, Covid-19, which like other viruses uses the host body to replicate itself. We have witnessed many viruses which hit the 21st century like H1N1 virus (Swine Flu), H5N1 (Avian Flu), Ebola virus (Ebola) MERS-CoV (MERS) but the Covid-19 virus has played unprecedented havoc in the world.
As per medical experts, there are two plausible ways to protect yourself from the virus: one is by practising social distancing, washing hands regularly and wearing a mask and the second is by increasing your internal body immunity with vaccination.
If we go by the medical history and experience, vaccines have been safe and effective to fight the virus. They have helped in the past to eradicate measles, rubella, polio etc, and a host of other diseases which posed a threat to human existence. Vaccination helps in preventing the disease before it starts and could be a person’s only lifeline. Vaccines are easy to deliver and preventing disease is less expensive than treating severe illness, and vaccines are the most cost-effective prevention option. They also lower the risk of getting other diseases so there should not be any doubt on vaccination and its benefits per se.
The moment Coronavirus started spreading its tentacles in India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi scientists and researchers in India started working on an antidote in the form of a vaccine. Vaccine development is a very long yet cumbersome process that has five phases ranging from preclinical to its final administration. The Indian researchers, scientists and virologists laboured hard and were successful in making an indigenous vaccine called Covaxin in a record time. It has shown 81 per cent efficacy. Today India has three vaccines Covidshield, Covaxin and Sputnik which have been given EUA( Emergency Use Authorization).
The COVID-19 vaccination programme was launched on 16th January 2021 which is the largest ever vaccination drive in the world. The first group included healthcare and frontline workers. In less than 4 months, India is able to administer 18.04 crores (as on 15.05.2021) vaccines to its population. Officials confirm that by December 216 crore vaccine doses of various brands would be available in the country While the production of Covidshield and Covaxin would multiply manifold in the next three to four months other brands like Sputnik and BB nasal vaccine would also be around.
Vaccine-hesitancy and Vaccine-resistance
Many people are hesitant to take vaccination while some of them are even resisting the vaccination. Concerns about the safety of the vaccine, fear of unknown side effects, and misinformation about COVID-19 are some reasons why some sections of society are reluctant to accept the vaccine. Some people are just waiting to see the effects of the vaccine on the vaccinated people. This vaccine-hesitancy was also fuelled by some of the irresponsible politicians who tried to politicize the otherwise issue of national importance.
It is a war between Virus and Vaccine. Experiences of many countries show that coronavirus infection can be reduced through mass vaccination. There cannot be any confusion with respect to the efficacy of the vaccine considering the above results. The vaccine is the most potent defence against the virus, indeed the only defence. It is a protective shield. It is an armour that helps us protect from the attack of the invisible virus. When you are wearing armour, the attack of the enemy virus may still be there, but the severity and the intensity will be reduced.
Let this Vaccination drive be a national drive and each and every section of our population come forward and get the vaccination as part of their National-duty and also make others aware of this.
(The writer is BJP National General Secretary)
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