Ray of hope

This is with reference to your report “Sharjah Airport employees receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine” informing that employees from the frontline staff at Sharjah Airport International have received doses of COVID-19 vaccine, (30 Sept.)

In India, the government managed KEM hospital in Mumbai and the PGI in Chandigarh, are commencing human trials with Oxford’s vaccine. These are encouraging developments. The pandemic is just about nine months old and we already have the first few rays of hope.

Mr. Adar Poonawala, the CEO of the Serum Institute of India, one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, has asked if “the government of India will have Rs. 80,000 crore (USD 11.43 bn.) available, over the next one year” to pay for the purchase and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone in India. The revenues in the Indian Budget for 2020 are estimated at $430 bn. So, the expenses on the vaccines will be just 2.6 per cent. This is a trifling expense to save the lives of the people of the country. So, when the vaccine is available in adequate quantities, post the trials, it should be administered free to the people. Hopefully, COVID-19 is a once-in-a-lifetime nightmare. As citizens of a country, people pay taxes and work for it. Surely, they are entitled to receive a free vaccine in these traumatic times, when many have lost loved family members, jobs and security.

Rajendra Aneja
Mumbai, India