The real trials begin

The great day arrives. Vaccines are approved. Rollout starts as we write. A big sigh of relief. A ray of hope. All these emotions mixed with apprehensions. Conspiracy theories get a new lease-Trials were incomplete, vaccine has destructive chip in it, it is premature, it is post mature, it is under tested, it is over frozen etc, etc. Just as Covid-19 was such a mystery so is Vaccine 2020. The race for launching vaccines, the race for beating efficacy percentages, the race for manufacturing it in huge scales, and the race for getting it to large populations is on, and on with a vengeance. This rat race is literally a rat experimentedvaccine race that is now being transferred to human race. Whether humans become rats in this race or humans become humane in this race is the true trial. For many in this world Covid-19 was another attempt at wealth and political control. The temptation for those with first mover advantage to exploit, and, the lure of uncountable wealth is going to create more inequalities in the world.

The Americans, the British, the Russians and the Chinese are all in queue for vaccine development. More than 150 coronavirus vaccines are under development across the world. Vaccine development used to take decades to develop. It typically took 10 to 15 years to bring a vaccine to market; the fastest-ever, the vaccine for mumps required four years in the 1960s. Vaccines go through a three-stage clinical trial process before they are sent to regulatory agencies for approval which can be a lengthy process itself. Coronavirus vaccines have broken all records. Some of the vaccines are ready to be rolled out. The first one is BioNTech Moderna made by a Massachusetts-based biotech company, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health. This is already being rolled out in the UK. Oxford university, in collaboration with the biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is ready to launch its vaccine in a few weeks. SinoVac, Chinese bio pharmaceutical company, in collaboration with Brazilian research center Butantan is on the final trial phases. Sputnik A, Russian research institution in partnership with the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund has rolled it out in the country and is offering it to the rest of the world. COVAXINan Indian biotechnology company, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology is in its last stage of development.

The humanity trials begin after the human trials finish. The world is facing three challenges on vaccine management:

1. Prioritizing Distribution- There is a race to get to the vaccine queue first. Countries have laid out priorities. Lists have been divided on various levels. In UK at level 1a they will prioritize 21 million health-care workers and 3 million adults in long-term care facilities, like nursing homes, who are particularly vulnerable. At level 1b they will prioritize other essential workers such as school staff etc. At level 1c they will prioritize adults older than 65 and others with other medical issues that increase the risk of serious complications from Covid-19. In UK it will be handled well. In Pakistan we need to have a whole plan of how to ensure transparency and merit. Pakistan also needs to ensure that they book enough vaccines early as the whole world is rushing to buy.

2. Preventing Exploitation- One of the most viral conspiracy theories was that this is engineered by companies that want to create a vaccines gold rush. Pharmaceuticals are enjoying block buster stock gains. On a social level the rich are going to pour money to get themselves and their families safe first. How to control the corporate, class and other exploitation and discrimination from happening? That is why it is important that the government needs to anticipate this rush and race and prepare water tight procedures to develop a strict merit based roll out to fight out this virus.

3. Balancing Compassion with Cash- Not just the pharma companies but all corporates need to be included in this crucial phase of vaccine distribution. There needs to be a three level rollout - government, companies and communities. The lesson we learnt during the first wave of Covid-19 is that no society is more generous than Pakistanis. They consider helping out others as part of cultural and religious giving. BBC wrote articles on the law of giving working in Pakistan as food ration distribution by people in a massive way saved masses from being starved during lockdown.

We need to invoke the same spirit of giving, sharing and saving lives with vaccines. Organizations need to be including it as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility program to get their employees and their families vaccinated. Households need to be responsible for their workers and their families getting vaccinated the way food was provided to them. This feeling of contributing to a larger cause will make people give selflessly.

Phase-three trials are normally considered the final trials to gauge the efficacy of the vaccine. However, in case of Covid-19 the phase-four trials are equally important to assess its impact. Phase-four trials are of how human beings resist the temptation of greed and graft to be inclusive, equitable, and generous in sharing the vaccine. Already in November when the Pfizer Vaccine was declared 90% efficient its CEO sold $5.56 million worth of shares as the stock price soared. The sale may be according to the rules of contract but it signifies how the value of share is always more important than the value of care- care for humanity, care for millions of people dying, care for billions of people who are sick and hungry.

We all must be rearing to leave 2020 behind but some take always from this year have been the frailty of human life and the insecurity of everybody rich or poor. Many rich people in the beginning chartered planes to go to islands where the virus had not reached only to get infected there. From Buckingham Palace to the White House the lesson is that the virus attacks no matter who, where and when. The lesson to learn is that till everybody is safe nobody is safe.

(The writer can be reached at [email protected])

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020