New Delhi : The scientific community denounced ICMR’s announcement of Covid-19 Vaccine due to be out by August 15. Director at Delhi’s AIIMS, Dr. Randeep Gularia -the head of research group tasked with clinical trial at national level, are all stunned by the preposterous declaration made by ICMR. It is impossible to complete all mandatory phases of trial for the new vaccine candidate in that timeline, said Dr. Rasheed Jamal, CEO at renowned Welcome Trust-DBT Alliance.
The August 15 deadline is embarrassing and will make the Indian scientific community appear ridiculous, he said India enjoys a respectable position amid world’s scientific community. Also we would lose credibility, he added.
The Indian Vaccine Manufacturers Association said the ICMR announcement is very disturbing. ICMR is destroying its own credibility, said Amar Jasnani, a health expert and editor to “Medical Ethics.”
Given ICMR awareness on the trial status of the potential vaccine, the unrealistic deadlines is drawing criticism increasingly. Announcing release of a vaccine, even as it is in the experimental stage, is an event unheard of before, said Partha Majumda, the founder director of National Institute of Biomedical Genetics situated in Mumbai’s Kalyan.
