COVID-19 Vaccine Race: Russia Declares Sputnik V Breakthrough!

Photo: wionnews.com

Russia becomes the first country in the world to officially approve a COVID-19 vaccine, significantly named ‘Sputnik V’; Sputnik 1 was the first ever orbital satellite launched in 1957 which set off a space war between the superpowers, the USA prominently. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday, the 11^th of August, 2020 that Russian scientists had achieved a breakthrough in the global COVID-19 vaccine race with Sputnik V which was experimented tested safely on volunteers including the President’s daughter, over a period of two months starting June. He further said that the virus has ‘sustainable immunity’ and it is registered and approved for civilian use. Sputnik V is developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Research Institute in collaboration with the country’s defence ministry. Thousands of doses are likely to be administered first on the communities at risk, mostly the health workers and teachers, from this month itself, coming ahead of the most promising vaccine candidates: Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer. The industrial production is set to kick-start either from September, 2020 or from January, 2021 which is so far not clear, as per media reports and interviews. In any case, millions of doses are to be produced every month from early next year.

The announcement, as expected, set off a chain of reactions around the world, ranging from ‘alarming’ to ‘shocking’. Of course, there are at least two valid reasons for this skepticism among the top scientists and health experts of the world: first, its incredible fast-tracking, getting it done just nine months into the Corona crisis; second, the lack of public data that makes the safety and efficacy aspects of Sputnik V very doubtful which, if used widely at this stage, could create health complications in vaccinated people. The scientists say that the announcement is based only on the results of Phase-1 clinical trials, and the results of Phase-2 and Phase-3, if at all completed, are yet to be published. They add emphatically that without the Phase-3 trials where the vaccine is administered to tens of thousands of volunteers no vaccine could be declared as safe and effective.

The Russian government officials defend Sputnik V success with the contention that this was not entirely a new vaccine, because it is primarily based on the vaccine developed earlier for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) disease that was caused by another Coronavirus. They maintain that there had been experimentation and testing for over two months, Phase-2 has also been completed in July and Phase-3 near completion at the moment. Regarding the ‘lack of transparency’ charge they say that the world must acknowledge Russia’s traditional policy of ‘secrecy’ which was also clearly visible during Sputnik 1 launch. Another reference point given here is that of China’s equally secretive ways, where the Wuhan Vaccine was supposedly developed and tried in military personnel without publishing any public data.

Other critiques allege that the vaccine race has been assuming the color of ‘vaccine nationalism’ and even a ‘cold-war namesake’ with countries trying to rush through the process as a matter of national pride and a victory in the global race beating one’s super rivals. However, this allegation cannot be just Russia-specific or China-specific, this, unfortunately, has been emerging as an international phenomenon based on strategic defence and diplomatic relations and the principles of alignment or non-alignment. Even a large part of the mainstream international media does reflect this conflict: Russia, on one two occasions earlier, had in fact reported on getting close to producing a vaccine, but the news was not widely carried for obvious reasons, while the development of vaccines in the US or in the West was given exhaustive publicity. US President Donald Trump had admitted recently that he had actually been rushing through the process in view of the international crisis, the other strategic reasons being hidden apparently.  For the same reasons, most of the experts from the US or the West are least likely to acknowledge the Russian achievement of a ‘ready’ vaccine and would be more prone to ‘raising an alarm’.

The Russian government claimed that around 20 countries had expressed interest in producing Sputnik V including Brazil, India and others. Accordingly, over a billion doses are to be manufactured from the start of 2021. Meanwhile, the government of India has appointed a National Experts Group on Vaccine Administration to examine the safety aspects of Sputnik V before adopting or approving it. The World Health Organization (WHO), at loggerheads with President Trump at the present moment, has also responded to Russia’s registering of the first-ever COVID-19 vaccine and asked for a rigorous review of safety data to be submitted if the country wants a WHO approval. The WHO has also said that it has been in constant touch with Russian health authorities and brainstorming discussions are going on.

Whatever be the rivalry or nationalistic pride or vaccine cold-war between countries or superpowers of the world the international community, to reemphasize again, must unite and fully cooperate in discovering the most-wanted and eagerly-awaited COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Every vaccine candidate must be assessed on pure merit only, in respect to its safety data and immunity parameters, and definitely not on the basis of which country of what strategic importance or of what governance policy or of what ideology has produced it or has been developing it. Hopefully, considering the various stages of development of various vaccines, primarily, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Sputnik V and Wuhan, humankind is very likely to be blessed with a vaccine by end of 2020 or more realistically, in the early part of 2021. Significantly, the Russian vaccine also does conform to this deadline only, one likes it or not. 

An Ode To Friendship!

What is friendship? Well, friendship is too vast a concept or a relationship for a clear-cut definition. In fact, it always remains better-off undefined, and even unfathomable. For practical purposes though, friendships are based on mutual likes, mutual respect, mutual love and a whole limitless world of mutuality. Some friends are made instantly, on the first exchange of mutual likes or in line with that saying ‘love at first sight’ being replaced with ‘friendship at first sight’, while some others take time to bloom into a perfect relationship. It is not necessary to have everything in common to be friends: friends can have diametrically opposite interests or even ideologies or passions or professions and yet be the best of friends. Mind you, like marriages friends are not made in heaven, they are technically ‘made in planet earth’ only.

Although friendships mostly develop and bloom amid school/college/university classmates, children in a neighborhood, friends’ friends, peers and office colleagues it can happen anytime with anyone at any stage of life. It is also totally free of the age factor, a 15-year-old can be the best of pals with a 60 or more-year-old. It is also free of all language, ethnicity, region, religion or culture barriers. Contrary to patriarchal beliefs it is also free of the gender factor, a boy can have an equally limitless friendship with a girl and vice versa. Therefore, if a true friendship is the basis between boys and girls then the terms of ‘girlfriends’ or ‘boyfriends’ are misnomers.

Again, contrary to the general belief that members of the family cannot be friends, friendship can bloom even between grandchildren and grandparents; children and parents; between siblings and in-laws; and with anyone, everyone. Friendship can in fact add a refreshing dimension to such relationships. Therefore, people need not hesitate to send friend requests to their family and kin too on the social media. With the world becoming a closed and small place digitally there can also be friends irrespective of the huge geographical distances, the instant communication facility being the bonding factor. It’s basically the bond that drives the friendship vehicle seamlessly around, both in reality and in virtual reality. However, a mere ‘friend’ on the social media does not necessarily signify friendship.

Friendship provides the truest form of a liberal democracy: you can talk, debate or dispute anything under the sun with friends; a friend will never undermine you for your weaknesses or limitations; friends do have the right to quarrel bitterly between themselves too and yet remain friends; selfish motives never penetrate a friendship bond and if it does then it’s not friendship; and absolutely nothing of the kind of competitiveness or rivalry ever figures in a friendship. People often confuse between business relationships and friendships for such reasons; however, it is possible to chisel out friendship here too, if the ‘business’ part is dealt and dispensed with diligently.

The beauty of friendship is that it is not at all necessary to do any maintenance work for keeping it up which means you need not visit your friends or call your friends or write/message to your friends at regular intervals to show that you are still friends. You can be in the same city or thousands of miles apart and you can be out of touch for months, years or even decades, and yet you can reunite anytime anywhere basking in the undiminished glory of your friendship as if nothing had happened. Therefore, the observance of ‘Friendship Day’ once or more in a year is not at all necessary to rekindle your friendships or to justify it by sending inspiring messages or by shedding abundant tears of remembrance. But of course, such occasions make you ponder, introspect and even write something about it, call it an ode or notes as you may prefer.

Friendship is selfless, limitless; friendship is forever. Perhaps the best ever gift of God bestowed on humankind. Celebrate friendship every moment of your life, and be proud you have them by your side, always. 

Mumbai Monsoon: Still Unwilling To Pour & Water Cuts!

The heavy showers in Mumbai city and some adjacent area in the first week of July seemed to indicate that the monsoon finally caught the rhythm and we hoped that rains would be regular for the rest of the season. But no, the inexplicable unwillingness to pour showed up again from mid-July, particularly in areas of Thane district. The skies, as in the month of June, remained mostly gloomy with floating clouds contributing to the uncomfortable humidity. Even though the temperatures were below 33 degree Celsius the real feel with 80—90% humidity was around 38 degree! At times, the skies blackened hopefully with occasional soothing sounds of thunder, but mostly it petered out without pouring. There were, of course, a few incidents of showers, but not up to the desired intensity and consistency. And now, the obvious happened! Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced a 20% water cut from 5^thAugust, valid not only for Mumbai city but also for parts of Thane and Bhiwandi.

Very heavy showers in Mumbai city in early part of July, leading to water-logging on several occasions, ensured the overflowing of only Tulsi lake which is situated within the city limits, but the remaining six major water supplying lakes were much below the overflowing mark. Taking all the seven lakes into consideration the water level is only 34% of the overflowing capacity at this moment while it was 85% this time in 2019 and 83% in 2018. The BMC said that although Mumbai city received heavy showers in the first half of July the rains were not at all sufficient in the catchment areas around Thane and Bhiwandi. As has often been seen in the past deficient monsoon in catchment areas eventually leads to severe water shortage from October onward. The BMC assured that with the expected rainfall during August the cuts will be eased out gradually.

This month is our only hope for the monsoon to pour in these areas, because from September the South West Monsoon normally starts withdrawing from Maharashtra. There were water shortages and cuts in the past, no doubt; but in all of my years in Mumbai I have never seen such unwillingness on the part of the monsoon to pour and its adamant defiance of the weather forecasts on almost a daily basis This has been witnessed from mid-May till now. Tired of watching the skies for possible rains we often check the weather on our mobile screens, and lo! So often we behold ‘thundershowers’ in full flow on the screens with the special lightening effects. But, unfortunately, nothing of that sort happens in reality, with the sky looking as gloomy as ever and the humid heat seeping into us. Yes, Mother Nature has been angry with humankind since a long time, and has demonstrated her wrath through the unending saga of COVID-19 forcing governments take unprecedented measures and poor humans hide at home. We hope fervently Mother Nature take mercy on us forgiving our sins, and pour Her blessings on us in near future. Meanwhile, humankind must learn to be grateful, moderate and reciprocating.