Covid-19 pandemic is done and dusted. Seemingly. Though massive killer waves of the viral infection triggered by mutants seem to have abated, stray cases of the viral respiratory infection are still being reported, with negligible mortality though.

‘A cluster of highly infectious respiratory infection with high mortality’ was reported in China’s Wuhan Province in December 2019. Soon this strange infection, which the WHO baptized ‘Covid-19’, crossed the Great Wall, taking the world by storm. WHO declared it a pandemic.  704,753,890 were infected.  7,010,681 perished globally, as per statistics updated by WHO on April 13 2024.

The wily virus which had scant respect for personalities, geographical regions, economic and military might of nations, color and faith had the medical world scurrying to simultaneously explore prevention and treatment.

 As treatment modalities emerged by fits and start mankind continued to be infected. Many perished falling to viral mutants that caused waves of the deadly infection. Livelihood and economy were wrecked.  Clueless and desperate governments attempted to keep the virus away from citizens through lockdowns and the SMS protocol. Lockdowns added to economic disarray.

Physicians considered prevention using vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the viral villain more fruitful than treatment. But, the gestation time for a vaccine to be developed and authorized for human use after mandatory phase III trials is 10 years.

Governments could not wait for 10 years for vaccines when citizens were succumbing in large numbers. Pharmaceutical companies worked overtime and rolled out ‘vaccines’ in a jiffy. Governments permitted use of these half-baked vaccines on their citizens without mandatory clinical trials out of desperation on Emergency Use Basis. The emergent nature of the pandemic eating up lives demanded, and even justified such a move by governments when the pandemic raged.

India was no exception. The country depended on two vaccines- Covishield, jointly developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and Covaxin, manufactured and developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research.  These two were permitted for human use by the Indian government on Emergency Use Basis.

Very soon, signs of the pandemic abating in terms of infections and mortality were evident. Jumping the gun to hang medallions on these vaccines was not without attendant drawbacks;

  • Due to dearth of proper clinical trials, the medical community cannot, with scientific certainty attribute signs of waning of infection to vaccines. Waning infection could also be attributed to development of herd immunity (immunity acquired from natural infection), and variable pathogenicity of viral mutants. While the delta mutant had corpses floating on the Ganga in India, the more infective and less pathogenic Omicron mutant had no such gory tale to tell.
  • It could also have the medical community, without scientific evidence attribute adverse events that might be reported in future to the vaccines, leaving mistaken sinners to be stoned.   Overenthusiastic Government heads basked in the vaccine success by employing inadequately tested vaccines to douse the pandemic cauldron. They overdid vaccine administration on their citizens by arm-twisting them to receive the shots, making vaccine certificates compulsory for travel and other crucial purposes. Voluntary refusal of these vaccines, or expressing caution against them were equated to sedition.

The then Australian Premier banning Novac Djokovic from competing in the Australian Open for refusing Covid vaccine hasn’t been forgotten.

  • To complicate matters further, the vaccines caused pathophysoiology very similar to that of the virus, rendering the dividing line between the two extremely indistinguishable. These concerns will remain unanswered forever, as only proper phase III trials would have provided answers.     

Government heads made vaccines convenient political tools to reserve a place for themselves under the vaccine arc lights on world stage. The Indian Prime Minister even had his photograph printed on vaccine certificates, when the certificates ought to have carried the vaccinees’ photographs. He conveniently used the vaccine ‘success’ to hide the bungling of his administration during the deadly viral wave caused by the Delta variant under the bushel. India manufactured vaccines in excess of the nation’s needs exporting them to other nations. The Indian head of state soon adorned the garb of global ‘vaccine messiah’, making political mileage out of self-assumed ‘vaccine miracle’. He swore by these untested molecules with potential adverse effects. He forced them on his unsuspecting countrymen, women and even children. He thus presided over the biggest scam in the history of medicine.

As abatement of the pandemic coincided with large-scale compulsory use of the vaccines, it was widely made to believe by government PR overdrive that the virus beat a hasty retreat, scared away by the vaccines. Though numerous breakthrough infections were reported. Though potential adverse events remained uncertain and unknown.

The fact is, the pandemic death dance could well have ended due to herd immunity and differences in pathogenicity of various viral mutants.

 Covid-19 pandemic is almost over. One of Yesterday’s vaccine ‘heroes’ turned villain as abruptly as it was crowned ‘knight in shining armor’.

AstraZeneca recently decided to globally withdraw its vaccine Covishield, as it is known in India and as Vaxzevria in the UK.   

The withdrawal comes after AstraZeneca  acknowledged in court documents that it’s vaccine can cause a dangerous side effect called TTS- Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, an entity in which blood clots form to abruptly deny vital organs of blood supply to cause strokes, heart attacks, and intestinal gangrene- all of which can kill. TTS has been associated with at least 81 deaths in the UK, along with serious clot-related injuries. AstraZeneca faces lawsuits from over 50 alleged victims and the bereaved in various courts. 

Following voluntary withdrawal of marketing authorization, the vaccine is no longer authorized for use in the EU. Australia too has banned its use.

Similar fate is expected to befall other vaccines with possible adverse effects if, and when they emerge. The fact is these deadly side effects would have shown up on proper clinical trials, had they been conducted before permitting use of Covid vaccines for human use. Had they waited for the gestation period of 10 years for vaccines.

As Covishield, which has been credited for saving millions stands in the judgment box like a habitual lawbreaker, who is to blame?

Certainly not AstraZeneca and Oxford University who developed it.

 Governments who arm-twisted its unsuspecting citizens to receive half-baked ‘vaccines’, making political agenda, and photo-ops of it, for political and personal gain are to blame.

They must admit their mistake, at least advise caution, stop overzealous vaccine trumpeting, and make amends by adequately compensating vaccine victims.