Parliamentary panel pitches for evaluation of vaccines

New Delhi: Amid growing concerns over the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and concerns with regards to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism critically addressed.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which presented its report on Friday, also recommended that the government should conduct more research and examine the need of administering booster doses of vaccines to contain the new strain of the virus.

In its report, the committee said it apprehends that a rise in mutations in the virus may lead to reporting of more virulent and transmissible strain of the Covid virus in the country and strongly recommended the Union Health Ministry to adopt a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and closely track Covid cases across the country.

"The committee believes that timely detection and isolation of potentially infectious people is very crucial in reducing the impact of the pandemic COVID-19.

The importance of diagnostic testing therefore, cannot be overlooked," the panel said in its report.

In view of the loss of life during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee said that the measures taken by the ministry to contain or prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2 proved to be squarely inadequate and suggested that the focus should be on strengthening of health infrastructure, ensuring adequate availability of beds, adequate supply of oxygen cylinders and essential medicines etc.