Operation Warp Speed
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert has said that Operation Warp Speed has been a success in the arena of vaccines.
What is Operation Warp Speed?
- Operation Warp Speed (OWS) was initiated by the United States of America (USA) in April 2020 with an aim to fasten the development of COVID 19 Vaccine.
- It is a Public-Private-Partnership with leading pharma giants like Pfizer and Moderna, working in close association with various Government agencies.
- It aims to manufacture and deliver 300 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine by January 2021.
- The operation expects that by December 2020, close to 25 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 15 million Moderna vaccines available.
- The US Government has allotted a budget of USD 10 billion for the Operation Warp Speed.
What is Coronavirus?
- Coronaviruses are a group of viruses. These are common in various species of animals, for instance cattle, camels, bats and cats. In some cases, animal coronaviruses can infect humans, which can then transmit from person to person.
- These viruses cause respiratory infections in humans which are normally mild, but sometimes, can be dangerous.
- Like the influenza virus, the coronavirus transmits through both direct and indirect contact.
- Direct contact is caused by physical transfer of the microorganism through close contact with oral secretions.
- Indirect contact is caused when a person infected with the virus sneezes or coughs, which transmits the virus droplets on surfaces.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged Covid-19 as a pandemic.
India’s effort for Covid-19 vaccine
India is one of the major vaccine producers in the world. It is rigorously making efforts to fast-track the vaccine development process to break the chain of coronavirus transmission. Presently, Oxford vaccine of the Serum Institute of India and the indigenously-developed vaccine candidate of the Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are under clinical trial.