India's two approved vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield, will be available in the open market for states and private hospitals to purchase and administer them to everyone above the age of 18. Covishield by SII costs Rs 400 per dose to the states, Rs 600 for private hospitals, whereas Covaxin by Bharat Biotech will cost Rs 600 per dose for the states and Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals. This pricing structure has been up for debate by netizens, who have called out the manufacturers for "exorbitant" prices of the vaccines.
It's worth pointing out that both vaccines would be administered for free at central government hospitals. Also, if states have approved, the vaccines would be given for free. So far, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu have announced free vaccines for their citizens.
Despite that, netizens have questioned the reasoning behind charging anywhere from Rs 400 to Rs 1,200 for a dose of COVID vaccine at private and state hospitals. Morality aside, let us look from a scientific point of view to understand if the cost of the vaccine is worth it.
Understanding body's immune system
Your immune system is basically the strongest defense against the COVID-19 virus. But when a person is infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 for the first time, it can take several days or weeks for their body to make and use all the germ-fighting tools needed to get over the infection. After the infection, the person's immune system remembers what it learned about how to protect the body against that disease.
When the same virus attacks again, the body keeps a few T-lymphocytes, called "memory cells", that go into action quickly. When the familiar antigens are detected, B-lymphocytes produce antibodies to attack them. But experts are still learning how long these memory cells protect a person against the virus that causes COVID-19, which is a cause for concern.
Why vaccines then?
Like any other vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness. Different vaccines might work differently, but with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of "memory" T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future to ensure you're immune for life.
It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes. Therefore, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection. But skeptics and anti-vaxxers use this as a foundation to build a case against getting the jab.
But it is important to understand that getting vaccinated is one of many steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Protection from COVID-19 is critically important because, for some people, COVID-19 can cause severe illness or death. Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.
Once you're fully vaccinated and the majority of the population gets the jab, you may start doing things you had to stop during the pandemic. Getting vaccinated is your only shot at getting life back to normal. So the asking price of Rs 400 or Rs 600 or even Rs 1,200 to get your life back to normal is a small price to pay. For those who cannot afford it, there are always central government hospitals to administer the jab for free.
