India likely to get Covid vaccine by January 2021: AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria

New Delhi: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria said an effective Covid-19 vaccine can be expected in India by January 2021, if everything goes as planned.

Speaking during an event, Guleria admitted that it is hard to say when a vaccine will be available in the country and that it depends on a lot of factors - from the ongoing trials to the effectiveness of the vaccine against Covid-19 infections.

If all things go as planned, the vaccine could be available in the market by early next year, he said. However, Guleria made it clear that the initial availability of doses will not be enough for the entire population in the country.

Highlighting the next big challenge after the vaccine is ready, Guleria said, "The second challenge after the vaccine is deemed effective is production and distribution on such a large scale."

When asked how the Covid vaccine will be distributed among Indians considering the shortfall, the AIIMS director said discussions on the matter have already started and indicated that "vaccine prioritisation" model will be followed. Explaining the model, Guleria said those groups with the highest risks will be prioritised over others.

"There are two groups that will be prioritised. Those who have a higher risk of infection including healthcare workers and other corona warriors. And those who have higher chances of mortality," Guleria said. "If we prepare a priority list and follow it effectively, then the vaccine distribution can be done equitably."

Dr Guleria reminded people that it is a global pandemic and strict prioritisation guidelines need to be followed to effectively eradicate the virus. If the prioritisation model is not followed, it will lead to more deaths and the pandemic will keep spreading, Guleria said.

"The priority list will have to be sincerely followed as it will lead to a drop in cases and deaths," he added. When asked how doctors will determine the long-term effects of the vaccine, Dr Guleria said that the phase 1, 2 and 3 human trials of the vaccine are being conducted parallelly to "compress" the time need to study it.