Chinese vaccine human trial: Step forward to get corona vaccine for Bangladesh

 

The whole world is battling against Coronavirus. The no. of Corona affected people is increasing day by day. On the other hand, various countries of the world have been engaged themselves to invent Corona vaccine. The scientists of the world believe that only a vaccine can control the new, deadly, and highly infectious coronavirus disease. Now there are about 200 initiatives around the world to develop Corona vaccine. Among them 6 or 8 vaccine candidates are already undergoing phase 3 or human clinical trials.

The Corona vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech Ltd is also under phase 3 or human clinical trials and Bangladesh Govt. has already approved the human trial of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh. Scientists say if the Chinese Corona vaccine goes through successful trial in Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi people will get the vaccine quickly at an affordable price and the country's capacity for vaccine research will be developed.

It is now established fact that there is no alternative of vaccine to tackle the deadly Coronavirus. It has also been proved that vaccination is the only way to generate immunity or herd immunity within a population against the Coronavirus. Bangladesh, the densely populated country, have been struggling to COVID-19 for 6 months. The first confirmed coronavirus case was detected on 8 March 2020. More than 300,000 people have already been affected by COVID-19 in Bangladesh and the average death rate is 40 people per day. The rate of COVID-19 outbreak and the death rate is in the same peak for the last three months. Again, the winter season is coming and there is a risk of second wave of COVID-19 in Bangladesh. So, it can be said that it very much needed to have a vaccine to tackle Coronavirus in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, again it houses the world's largest refugee camp. Across Cox's Bazar, more than one million Rohingya refugees live in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions. The South Asian nation with 160 million people and having the extra 1.2 million Rohingya refugees is in most critical scenario that the Corona vaccine may be the only solution.

When the invention of a coronavirus vaccine is successful, a new challenge will arise how the vaccine can become available throughout the world. The experts said there are three ways to get a vaccine by any country of the world.

* First if the country can invent and then produce the vaccine.

* Second by participating into human trial and

* Third by buying or getting the vaccine through International Organizations like GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations)

It can be said that Bangladesh is not in a positionto invent and then produce the Corona vaccine. Though on 3rd July 2020 Globe Biotech Limited has claimed to be the first company from Bangladesh to have a Covid-19 vaccine under development. But after that no further development of that vaccine was declared by the Globe Biotech Limited.

So, it can be said that Bangladesh has now two options to get the Corona vaccine. One is to participate in a vaccine human trial in the country and another one to get the vaccine through buying or through negotiating with the International donor agencies.

Bangladesh has approved the trial of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd in the hope of being a priority recipient of the vaccine. Indonesia and Brazil are also helping with the Phase III human trial of China's Sinovac Corona vaccine and now Bangladesh becomes the new member which will help the country to get Corona vaccine. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) a country with a GDP less than $4,000 would get 20 percent of the vaccines it needs from the WHO and the GAVI.

As the GDP of Bangladesh is less than $4,000 Bangladesh will get the Corona vaccine through WHO and GAVI. But it is not still decided that GAVI will supply Corona vaccine free of cost or at partial cost and this decision comes after the GAVI Board meeting this month. Last year the GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations) has honoured Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the prestigious "Vaccine Hero" award and so it can be expected that Bangladesh will get the Corona vaccine through the GAVI easily.

GAVI generally gives vaccine for 20% people of any country like Bangladesh and so the vaccines for the rest 80% people should be procured or managed to collect by the Bangladesh authority. In this case good news is that Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. of Bangladesh has recently sealed a deal with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to get priority access to the Covid-19 vaccines being developed by the world's largest drug manufacturer.

So, this deal will help Bangladesh to get the Corona vaccine earlier. Bangladesh is still in the list of least developed country (LDC), enjoying the exemptions from patenting rights of pharmaceutical products and vaccines as guaranteed under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Due to the TRIPS exemptions the developed countries generally eager to transfer of technology to the LDC members in the matter of drug and vaccine production that may be considered a good possibility of Bangladesh to get the vaccine production here.

Again, Russia has already declared its invention of Sputnik -V - the first Corona vaccine in the world. Russia has now received requests to supply 1.2 billion dozes of 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine to many countries of the world. The international media said, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine would be manufactured overseas and circulated globally by November 2020.As historically Russia is one of the good friends of Bangladesh and so it can be hoped that Bangladesh could manage to get Corona vaccine Sputnik-V from Russia also.

Bangladesh is 8th populous country of the world. To maintain all activities of this densely populated country normal there is no alternative to Corona vaccine. It is always expected that the authority of Bangladesh always engages itself to negotiate with the foreign donor agencies, or even expend money to buy Corona vaccine from the invented companies or countries.

Human trial of Chinese Sinovac in Bangladesh and Beximco's deal with Serum Institute will also boost up to get the effective vaccines against novel coronavirus. It is demand of time that Bangladesh should not remain far behind in the race of getting corona vaccine rather desperate effort is expected from the concerned authority.

The writer is a Doctoral Researcher of Massey University, New Zealand
Email: [email protected]