Reza Mahmud :
Several companies are constantly claiming to bring covid-19 vaccine in the market by this December, but experts say that it may not be available before December 2021.
Human health experts add that before vaccines are found, the people have to follow all health safety rules strictly, including using face mask to prevent the fatal virus infections.
“Without getting approval from The World Health Organisation (WHO), no vaccine can be used and marketed. WHO has not approved any vaccine till now,” Professor Dr. Muzaherul Huq, former Adviser of WHO told The New Nation on Sunday.
He said all the data showed that it will be December next year to get the first vaccine in the markets.
As per the official data, coronavirus vaccines of USA’s Pfizer and Moderna are in advanced stage in WHO trials. Russia’s Sputnik and China’s Cinovac also are in good position.
Besides, UK’s Oxford invented AstraZeneca vaccine needs more trials to prove its effectiveness in all age group people.
Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) told The New Nation in absence of any vaccine and medicine, following health safety rules are very important and effective to prevent the fatal disease.
He asked all to use face masks, wash hands in 20 seconds and maintaining social distancing is a key to keep the nation safe from coronavirus infections.
Experts said that WHO has several unique procedures and criteria to give approval to the vaccines.
They said there are three approvals are mostly needed to bring out vaccines in market.
The first is WHO’s approval for the vaccine, second is marketing approval, which also is given by WHO. The third is the government’s regulatory body’s approval for marketing in any country.
WHO has a regulatory body to examine the vaccine candidates’ quality as per its own criteria.
The world body has to examine if the candidates’ follow its (WHO’s) own guideline during the emergency use testing trials of all the 1st, phase, 2nd phase and 3rd phase.
Before licensing any company’s vaccine, WHO firstly used to analyses and examines the vaccine’s effectiveness on human body trial. Secondly, it has to find out its side effects. If it is finds any side effect, then pushed the company back to more trials to be ensured a side effect free vaccine.
As third point, it searched that how quality has been maintained during its productions, packaging, and distributions.
After getting that all the three points are well, then the world body may give the approval for licensing the vaccine which is to be called as ‘WHO approval’, as per the experts.
The WHO also gives marketing approval for vaccines as per its own criteria.
If any vaccine candidate is found okay through the world body’s criteria, then that can get marketing approval.
WHO’s certain body has to scrutinize if the vaccine candidate has good manufacturing facility.
It has to examine all of the vaccines trials reports
Finally any vaccine has to get approval from the certain country’s regulatory body’s approval.
In case of Bangladesh, The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) is the authorized body to permit any vaccine for marketing in the country.
