Covid 4th wave: We may have to change the composition of vaccines, says WHO chief scientist

On Sunday, the chief scientist of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Soumya Swaminathan stated that the Covid-19 vaccines are working against all variants of coronavirus while preventing deaths across. However, she reiterated that new vaccines might be needed for upcoming variants for better prevention.

While addressing the Think Again Conclave lecture organised at the BITS, Pilani’s 40th edition of APOGEE as a chief guest, Swaminathan said, “This is just in a worst-case scenario where the virus recombines, mutates or changes in a way where it may lead to overcoming the immunity that we have with the vaccines today. In such a case, we may have to update our vaccines – along the lines of influenza vaccines every year. A committee from WHO meets twice a year and picks the most widely circulating strains that should go into the influenza vaccine.”

She further added, “We don’t know if that will be required for Covid at this point of time, as our current vaccines are working against existing variants of concern. In future, if we need to, we may have to change the composition of vaccines and we need to be prepared for that. Hence, sequencing and surveillance are important.”

Taking the discussion further, she spoke of various scenarios in terms of Covid-19 where she said that in the future the infection will not get mild or disappear, instead it will stay amongst the human population like various other infections – influenza, respiratory viruses, malaria and tuberculosis. She also added that it cannot be eradicated.

She also added that however, the damage can be reduced through vaccines amongst the vulnerable and elderly populations.

Dr Swaminathan further added, “The pandemic has impacted children who have been out of school for two years. They will need help and support to catch up on these two years which hopefully do not become a permanent difficulty in their future career path.”