At a time when a new phase of Unlock has come into force, a group of public health experts has on Tuesday advised against keeping hopes high on an anti-COVID vaccine. They also said that lockdown should be discontinued forthwith.

The Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) and Indian Association of Epidemiologists (IAE) feel that vaccines do not have any role in controlling the pandemic in India. The experts feel that an effective vaccine may not be available in the near future.

The experts are of the firm opinion that lockdown is not the right strategy to control the pandemic. They are also in favour of re-opening of schools in a graded manner. This is interesting, especially in the context of the government conducting NEET and JEE exams in September against fulminations by opposition parties.

Creating containment zones in large cities may not be effective or needed any more in the context of "substantial spread" of the virus in those cities.