While countries around the globe are close behind of a Covid-19 vaccine, with a few at present in the last phase of clinical trials, Bangladesh stays a long way behind in the race as no edgy exertion is obvious from the government.
They said the government has gained little ground so far in acquiring the much-looked for after vaccine, as it just presented an outflow of interest as a member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI).
The decision on whether the vaccine will be provided for free or at fractional cost will be chosen one month from now in a board meeting of GAVI.
The experts noticed that the government was at this point to get a move on in accordance with the suggestions from the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19.
The NTAC, in its seventeenth meeting held on August 19, suggested establishing communication with organizations or countries which are at phase-III trial of vaccine development. It supported Bangladesh to participate in the phase-III trial with the goal that the nation could appreciate “the assurance advantage” when the vaccines demonstrate fruitfully.
As per experts, vaccines might be accessible in the market for mass use within the next 4 to 10 months, despite the fact that it isn’t clear how much and for how long these will create immunity.
Presently, eight – of which six are worthy as indicated by WHO – out of more than 203 research organizations working to develop a vaccine are in late-stage trials.
The phase-III trial or the last stage implies the vaccine is given to a huge number of individuals to confirm its safety – including rare side effects – and effectiveness. This trial includes a controlled gathering which is given a placebo.
“We are far behind in the race [for collecting a vaccine]. The main question is whether we will be able to get vaccines directly from any producer or not. [The issue of] WHO or GAVI will come then,” Prof Nazrul Islam, a member of NTAC, said to reporters.
On August 9, the Saudi health ministry declared that Chinese CanSino Biologics would run a phase-III trial in the oil-rich desert realm.
CanSino is one of the three Chinese candidates in the late stage of the trial.
Sinovac, another Chinese organization developing the Covid-19 vaccine, offered Bangladesh to be part of their phase-III trial.
In addition, in excess of 135 vaccine up-and-comers are in pre-clinical or clinical trials, 21 in stage I and 13 in stage II clinical trials, as per the New York Times coronavirus vaccine tracker.
However, Bangladesh is yet to settle on the clinical trial of the Chinese vaccine – which is taking place in several countries including Brazil, the UAE, Indonesia, Chile, the Philippines, and Turkey.
A meeting between Prime Minister Sheik Hasina and Health Minister Zahid Maleque, planned for August 17, with respect to the trial of the Chinese vaccine was deferred.
After a day, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told his Indian counterpart Harsh Vardhan Shringla that Bangladesh is prepared to work together with India in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, including its trial.
The exact day, the Times of India announced India was thinking about the vaccine of Oxford-AstraZeneca as the conceivable originally shot against Covid-19 to be accessible for Indians before the current year’s over.
Oxford-AstraZeneca of the United Kingdom is leading the last period of trial of its Covid-19 vaccine.
As indicated by Prof Nazrul, the legislature said it is making a decision about the Chinese vaccine. On the off chance that Bangladesh participates in the trial, it is anything but difficult to get the vaccine. “The administration should make a choice soon,” he included.
Prof Md Sayedur Rahman, chairman of pharmacology at Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), said despite the fact that the vaccines under trial still can’t seem to be demonstrated protected and compelling to get an endorsement, many created nations previously made development installment to the partnerships who completing the stage III phase of a clinical trial.
So as to give data to choose the best vaccine by the states and UN bodies, the WHO is going to direct a powerful report, named Solidarity Vaccine Trial in the last quarter of September to think about the viability of the potential up-and-comer vaccines.
In spite of the fact that it is hard to quantify the likely advantage of the antibodies presently, created and rich nations have just reserved 30 crores to 100 crore portions from these organizations.
The current limit of the pioneers and leased makers may have the option to create a limit of 30 crore dosages of a single vaccine in the initial a half year in the wake of getting endorsement and those will be conveyed to the rich nations, which have paid ahead of time.
“Thus, we are now falling behind in this race,” he said.
Prof Rahman thinks the government should negotiate with those enterprises to welcome them to create their vaccine in the assembling plants here in Bangladesh. “This will place Bangladesh in a superior situation on the exchange table and may spare time also,” he included.
“So far we know, another new vaccine creation plant may get useful inside the following couple of months.”
He, be that as it may, said the researcher network ought to be permitted with the opportunity to apply the fundamental logical astuteness so as to assist the nation with joining at the right pace in the race of getting vaccines.
“Else, we won’t have the option to gather the sufficient number of portions required for a noteworthy extent of individuals so as to accomplish group insusceptibility in the years to come,” he included.
Photo credit: Bigstock
