Parliamentary panel recommends Centre to support new vaccine development to address Covid-19

Dec 23,2023

A Parliamentary panel that looked into the vaccine development and distribution for Covid-19 has recommended to the Centre to encourage vaccine development on other newer and more efficient platforms and also evaluate the efficacy of the existing vaccines to address the future challenges.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in its 150th report on the action taken by the government on the recommendations and observations in the 137th report on the vaccine development, distribution management and mitigation of pandemic Covid-19, expressed the view while appreciating the role of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for permitting various vaccines developed on various technology/platforms for restricted use in emergency situation.

The Committee also appreciated the efforts of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Panacea Biotec for global coalition for development of broadly protective corona virus vaccine candidate.

"However Committee feels that there is an urgent need to evolve strategies for development of next generation vaccines," said the report tabled in both the houses of December 19. The Committee is headed by Rajya Sabha member Bhubaneswar Kalita.

"The Committee, accordingly recommends the Ministry to encourage vaccine development on other newer and more efficient platforms and also evaluate the efficacy of the existing Covid-19 vaccines. More efforts are also required in collaboration with other International Agencies for development of various neutral vaccines as constant mutation of virus requires that we also follow the mutants and be ready for pandemics in waiting," it added.

In its 137th report, the Committee observed that with the constant mutation in the virus, there is an urgent need to evolve strategies for development of second-generation vaccines.

The Ministry must make continuous efforts in developing vaccines that are variant neutral and whose efficacy remains unchanged against other strains of virus.

The Committee added in the previous report that all the Ministries concerned must collaborate with other National and International Institutes on vaccine research and development front and benefit the nation with latest innovation.

The ministry of health and family welfare in its response to the recommendations of the 137th report informed the Committee that in addition to Covaxin, the CDSCO has approved around 10 Covid-19 vaccines for restricted use in emergency situation of various technology/platforms based on the satisfactory CMC data, safety, immunogenicity and/or efficacy in preclinical studies and clinical trials and recommendations of Subject Expert Committee.

Source: Pharmabiz