A large basket of COVID-19 vaccine candidates is important: Renu Swarup

It is important to have a large basket of COVID-19 vaccines as it is really difficult to know which one is going to be the best among the lot, said Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology.

She said the vaccines that are being developed indigenously are on different platforms and each has its own benefits and challenges.

“It is important to have a large basket of vaccines as we move forward because we really don’t know which one is going to be the best.

“It is not necessary that the first one is the best, you may have one coming later which is going to be better but it is difficult to say right now,” she said at a webinar.

There are 30 vaccine candidates which are being developed within the country.

Swarup said a lot of effort has gone in the development of the vaccines, like building capacity for clinical trials. Stressing that vaccine development is a complex process, she said a lot of science has gone in making it.

She said the DBT has an expert committee to track the development related to COVID-19 vaccine.

The panel, which also has experts from within the country and outside, meet every two weeks to discuss not just with the academic research groups but also the vaccine manufacturers and developers to understand what they need for its development.