Covaxin and our people's lives

Modi's vaccine politics is a testament to the fact that India's biotech-ICMR-made 'Covaxin' is allowed to be used before the completion of the third phase of clinical testing. Saying that this domestic vaccine is 'India's pride' and 'a decisive turning point in the war on the corona', Modi and his men are chanting the same thing.

The failure of the Modi government to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic and keep the economy from further deteriorating into crisis is a foregone conclusion. It would be unethical to see the Covaxin vaccine being used as a weapon to cover these up. It is dangerous to allow a vaccine for emergency use in this way while in the third stage test.

There is no dispute about it when it comes to the polio vaccine. No one objected to the approval of the Central Drug Standards Agency (CDSCO) for the 'Covishield' vaccine developed by Serum. The government's irresponsible attitude is the reason for the controversy over Covaxin.

While 26 thousand volunteers have to be tested, so far only 23 thousand have been launched. The third phase of those experiments will take two to 10 months to come to fruition. How did the subject matter expert committee of the Central Drug Control Agency approve it in the meantime without waiting so long?

It's about messing with people's lives. Not only political parties but also scientists and health professionals are objecting to this. The Covishield vaccine, already made of serum-oxford Astra Zeneca, is available in up to five million doses.

So why not be patient until it is determined that the Covaxin is safe and has no side effects? How much is the government paying for the purchase of this vaccine? Many questions like these emerge. The government must answer for this.

The vaccine is expected to be administered first to medical and security personnel who have been on the front lines of the war on Covid. Do doctors fall victim to experiments before any data on the final trials of this vaccine is revealed? Government haste should not become a lifeline for the people.

It is ridiculous for the Modi government to claim victory over the corona epidemic with the Covaxin vaccine. Out of a total population of 130 crore in the country, only three crore people will be vaccinated in the first episode.

It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. Vaccination programs are already underway in countries such as the United States and Britain. However, the Covid cases did not stop there. Corona cases, India's second highest death toll in the world, is a testament to the Modi government's incompetent management in tackling the rampant corona epidemic.

The bankrupt neo-liberal policies pursued by the Modi government have further fuelled the corona boom. Stimulus schemes announced during the corona period benefited corporates more than the public.

For the first time in the history of post-independence India, the country's economy fell into negative growth. GDP fell from 8.3 per cent in 2016-17 to minus 9.5 per cent in 2020-21. According to the CMIE survey, 15 crore people lost their jobs during the Corona period. Unemployment has taken a severe form.

The living standards of the people have dropped drastically. On the one hand such a miserable situation on the other hand the wealth of the 15 richest people in the country increased by 14 per cent during this period. Under these circumstances, protests and agitations are intensifying across the country.

The struggle of millions of farmers across the Delhi border over the last 40 days against the three laws that leave farmers and agriculture to the mercy of corporates is a sign of growing resistance to neo-liberal policies.

The working class has staged two massive strikes over a period of ten months against the anti-labour policies of the Modi government. There is dissatisfaction among people from all walks of life over the failures of the Modi government. Modi is in an insane paradise if he thinks he can cover up his failures by intercepting Covaxin.

Dr N Khaleel, Warangal