‘THERMOTOLERANT’ OR ‘WARM’ VACCINE

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Context

A prospective vaccine against SarsCov2 is being developed in India, that doesn’t need to be stored in refrigerators or a cold-chain storage.

Details

The ‘thermotolerant’ or ‘warm’ vaccine is being developed by the Bengaluru-based Mynvax laboratories.
It is unique among existing vaccines as it can be stored at 37 degree Celsius for four weeks and at 100 degree Celsius for upto 90 minutes.
The test of the vaccine revealed that it can elicit antibody response out of the immune system and it is effective against variants: Alpha, Delta and Omicron.
The results, attest to the vaccine being fit to proceed to trials in people.

Significance

Vaccines can readily lose their efficacy when exposed to higher temperatures, which is why they must be safeguarded from accidental freezing during transport as well as interruptions in the cold chain caused by excessive heat.
India has a well-developed network of state-owned vaccine cold storage facilities. But the sub-zero storage and transport requirement of several vaccine candidates could prove to be a challenge for it, along with other developing nations.
India’s cold storage capacity is one of the world’s largest, at approximately 40 million tones. But it primarily keeps fresh food, medicinal products, flowers, and chemicals. Much of the capacity for keeping vaccines does not meet international hygiene standards.
The warm vaccine could prove to be a game-changer for India.
With India’s high temperatures, far-flung remote areas, and limited capabilities in such rural areas, a vaccine that is tolerant of warm temperatures could help increase access of the vaccines to the public.