The needle of success

Vaccine has perhaps emerged as the most embattled word all over the world following the pandemic. From frenetic pace of research in laboratories of both academia and industry to frantic diplomatic negotiations to wrest consignment of jabs from other countries — there is hardly a government in any country that have not gone through either of the two. India, too, have gone through both. But now after the savage second run of the infection, the country seems to be in a far better grip of the pandemic, thanks mostly to the vaccination drive.

India is one of the very few countries that has produced two vaccines and the third is ready for distribution. True there has been allegations of mismanagement of vaccines in the initial stages earlier this year. Any catastrophe on a similar scale resulting in the deaths of thousands in the most helpless conditions is expected to arouse strong feelings. In a sense it is also an indicator of sensitivity of the polity to the sufferings of fellow citizens.

But within a few months, the government has successfully ramped up numbers of those vaccinated. According to projections, the number of those who have got at least one shot would touch the landmark 100 crore this month. To safeguard the country’s own citizens, the government would allow exports only in Q4 by which time almost the entire country is likely to be vaccinated. Already 73% of the adults have got their first dose and 29% have got their first jab. In absolute numbers, the total number who got at least one dose is 96 crore.

With the rise in production and delivery of the jabs, the noise around deficiencies of the jab strategy has subsided. However, the government should not be complacent and, on the contrary, drive to raise the average number of daily jabs beyond 1 crore. Like a batsman whose performance should not be judged only on the number of runs scored but on the basis of the ferocity of the bowlers and the unpredictability of the pitch he faces, the mettle of a government should be assessed on the degree of crisis it faces successfully.