Covid-19 exhibition traces trajectory of disease that had world in its grip

A travelling exhibition currently on display at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum explores the trajectory of Covid-19. It is titled ‘Vaccines Injecting Hope’.

Backed by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and Science Music Group, London, the exhibition highlights the efforts that go into producing a vaccine at pandemic speed. It was first showcased in Delhi, in 2022, and has since travelled to Nagpur and Mumbai. The exhibition will be on display in Bengaluru for six months, before moving to Kolkata.

The aim of the exhibition is to demystify vaccines, shares K Sajoo Bhaskaran, director of the museum. “There are too many misconceptions surrounding vaccines. Too many taboos. The exhibition is an attempt to spread awareness about the importance of vaccines, and the need to have belief in science,” he adds.

The exhibition, which occupies the third floor of the museum, is divided into multiple sections. Sections such as ‘The arrival of a new virus’, ‘Designing a new vaccine’, ‘Trials, results, and approvals’, ‘Vaccine rollout’, and ‘Living with Covid’ take a deep dive into the global efforts that went into developing vaccines for the disease which was first detected in December, 2019 in China. On display, you will also find some of the early testing equipment from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, where research was being conducted on the first few Covid-19 patients in India. A scaled down model of a bioreactor is also on display.

One can also read interesting facts and trivia, such as information about the first-ever person in India to take the Covid-19 vaccine. Manish Kumar, a 33-year-old sanitation worker at Delhi’s AIIMS, became the first person in the country to be vaccinated against Covid-19, as people on the trial list kept backing out. One can also find video interviews of people who volunteered for clinical trials of the vaccine.

In addition to exploring Covid-19, the exhibition also traces the history of vaccines across the globe — from vaccines for smallpox to monkeypox. One of the sections sheds light on the first-ever face mask used globally, and shows how it evolved into the present-day hazmat suit.

The exhibition also features interactive activities and games.

On display until February 2025, 9.30 am to 6 pm, at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Kasturba Road.