Table of Contents
The Observation
The Big Question
Why are we asking this?
Current Status?
- The good news is that daily new cases have fallen to their lowest in nearly two years India.
- The Omicron variant – which carries more than 50 genetic mutations and is now causing a fresh wave of infections in parts of the world ripped through India in the last winter but cases have now receded.
- On 21 March 2022, India recorded 1,410 new cases, down from a surge peak of 347,000 cases on 21 January.
Should We worry for Fourth wave?
Should We worry for Fourth wave?
What do experts say?
- Many epidemiologists are deeply skeptical of the IIT-K study and are cautiously optimistic about the future.
- But why?
- Most Indians have acquired protective immunity either by contracting the infection or by Getting the vaccine
- The uptick of cases in Europe and elsewhere is being caused by an easily spread sub-variant of Omicron called BA.2 to which India was already exposed in third wave
Does it mean, its over?
- Not really..!!
- Immunity does wane over time. Although India has started the booster doses but caution is needed..!!
- Since January 2022, India has administered more than 20 million vaccine doses as boosters, curiously calling them “precaution doses”. Health and frontline workers and people above 60 years old with comorbidities are currently eligible to take the booster jab.
- Next step: Booster doses for people below 60.
What next?
- India needs a proper booster strategy which must be driven by data which monitors precisely when vaccine protection begins to wane in different age groups.
- Experts say, mRNA vaccines which use bits of genetic code to cause an immune response should be followed by a protein-based vaccine as boosters which provides good immune boost. But as of now the two most prominent candidates (Covishield & Covaxin) are not mRNA or protein based vaccines.
- Moreover, if a new nasty variant is found then it might upend the return to normalcy.
Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF
WhatsApp