Biosafety level-3 labs: Why India needs more of them to brace for future pandemics

Covaxin, the indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine, can only be produced in what is classified as a BSL-3 lab. What exactly is a BSL-3 lab? Are there labs that are more secure? How is research carried out at these labs? Read on to find out.

The second wave of Covid-19 infections has brought India's healthcare infrastructure to its knees. An unprecedented surge in cases coupled with a sluggish inoculation exercise makes it amply clear that the pandemic is far from over. More than 200 years since the world's first vaccine -- for smallpox -- was developed in 1796, vaccination for Covid-19 is now the top priority of all nations. At present, two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin -- are being produced in India. Covishield (developed by the European company Astrazeneca and University of Oxford) by Pune-based Serum Institute (SII) and the indigenous Covaxin by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. While Serum Institute is producing the bulk of the vaccines being administered in India, Bharat Biotech is also looking to ramp up production by setting up units in Pune, Bangalore and Bhubaneswar. Even pharma giant Dr Reddy's Laboratories is exploring options to manufacture Russian Sputnik V vaccine in India.