The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) is working towards its goal of accelerating vaccine development and ensuring equitable access, said Dr. Gagandeep Kang, Clinical Scientist and Executive Director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad.
It is playing an important role in supporting vaccine development for SARS-CoV-2 or Covid-19.
Dr. Kang, the first Indian woman scientist to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society and worked on vaccines for rotavirus infections and enteric diseases such as cholera and typhoid, highlighted the various types of vaccines curently being developed for SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines have a very high safety requirement as they are given to healthy people and vulnerable groups. Apart from just eliminating the disease, vaccines help in improving health and productivity.
Speaking at a webinar on ‘Vaccines for the 21st century” organised by the CovidGyan as part of its WebGyan series on Thursday, Dr.Kang stressed the need to deeply understand immune responses against new vaccines to ensure that people were protected against increased future risk.
Highlighting the example of Serum Institute of India’s meningococcal vaccine for African countries, Dr. Kang emphasised the opportunity that India has to step up vaccine production and contribute to global public health.
Published - May 14, 2020 09:47 pm IST
