Intense Concern and Criticism over 'Hasty Approval' of Biotech Vaccine

Experts have expressed concern over the way government-approved coronavirus vaccines made by a company in India has been approved before the trial is over.

The vaccine called ''Covacin'', was officially approved in India on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi later announced that the vaccine would be a "game-changer".

But health experts warn that the approval process has been rushed.

The All India Drug Action Network, a health watchdog, said it was "stunned".

The agency says there is no data on how effective the vaccine is and there is a lack of transparency - which has raised serious concerns.

"This will create more questions than answers and will not increase our confidence in the decision-making bodies in the scientific field."

Ahead of the statement, India's Drug Controller General VG Somani emphasized that covacin was 100% safe and that it had a strong immune response in humans.

The vaccine has been approved for limited use, he said, and "its side effects are similar to all other vaccines - such as mild fever, pain and allergies."

But the All India Drug Action Network says it does not understand the scientific rationale for approving a vaccine that remains unfinished.

One of India's leading medical experts. Gagandeep Kang said he had never seen such an incident before.

He said there was no data on the effectiveness of the vaccine that had been published or presented.

Questions about people's confidence

Many also say on social media that it is worrying to have the vaccine approved before the trial is over - even if it later proves to be effective or safe.

According to the BBC's Bikash Pandey from Delhi, India Biotech, the inventor of the vaccine, says the first and second trials of the vaccine have yielded good results, with government authorities saying it is safe and effective.

But scientists say that since the vaccine's efficacy data have not been released for verification by other scientists, that is a cause for concern.

Bikash Pandey says Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the covacin as "a shining example of a self-reliant India" but the questions raised about the vaccine will not be conducive to the campaign. In addition, many say the government needs to be more transparent about the vaccination approval process, as the success of the Covid-19 vaccination program depends on public confidence.

Politicians are also involved in the debate

On Sunday, there was a heated debate on Twitter between government ministers and opposition politicians over the hasty approval of the covacin.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan criticized India for creating the vaccine but opposition leaders failed to appreciate the success.

But Congress leaders like Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh, and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, have expressed concern over the way the vaccine has been approved.