Budget 2018-19

A preliminary laboratory study demonstrated that three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine neutralize the Omicron variant while two doses show significantly reduced neutralization titers. A preliminary laboratory study demonstrated that three doses of the  Pfizer-BioNTech  COVID-19 vaccine neutralize the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529 lineage) while two doses show significantly reduced neutralization titers. Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE announced results from an initial laboratory study demonstrating that serum antibody induced by the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2) neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant after three doses. Data indicated that the third dose of BNT162b2 increased the neutralizing antibody titers by 25-fold compared to two doses against the  Omicron variant ; titers after the booster dose are comparable to titers observed after two doses against the wild-type virus which are associated with high levels of protection, reported Pfizer and B...

  They said the new vaccine design, described in the PNAS journal, could help fill global vaccination gaps and could be applied to vaccines against other diseases. Scientists have developed a new protein-based vaccine candidate for COVID-19 that they say is much easier to produce and does not need refrigeration. The research team at Boston Children’s Hospital, US, noted that currently available Covid vaccines require cold storage and sophisticated manufacturing capacity, which makes it difficult to produce and distribute them widely, especially in less developed countries. They said the new vaccine design, described in the PNAS journal, could help fill global vaccination gaps and could be applied to vaccines against other diseases. The new vaccine candidate elicited strong immune responses against  SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19, and its variants in mice, the researchers said. The vaccine was successfully freeze-dried and later reconstituted without losing efficac...

  Amid surging Delta variant cases in the US, COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 12 years could be available by the end of next month, a media report has said. Amid surging  Delta variant  cases in the US, COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 12 years could be available by the end of next month, a media report has said. A report in The New York Times quoted two health experts as saying that COVID vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 could be available as soon as the end of October, bringing relief to parents of younger children since vaccines are only available for children aged 12 and above. The NYT report quoted Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration who also sits on the board of Pfizer, as saying that getting the green light for younger children will require careful and expeditious review of the clinical data. Gottlieb said on the CBS show Face the Nation that in a best-case scenario, the  Pfizer  vaccine c...

  Of those dead in Seychelles, five had taken Covishield and one had been given Sinopharm. The coronavirus has killed six fully vaccinated people in the Seychelles, which is suffering heightened Covid-19 infections despite inoculating a greater proportion of its people than any other nation. Of those, five had taken Covishield, a version of the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine made in India, and one had been given Sinopharm, Jude Gedeon, the island nation’s public health commissioner said at a press conference on Thursday. Covishield has mainly been reserved for people over 60 in the Seychelles. The rise in infections, which surged at the beginning of May and has remained at elevated levels ever since, is likely due to the arrival of the highly-transmissible delta variant, which was first identified in India, Gedeon said. “It looks like delta came in Seychelles in May which explain the surge at the beginning of May,” Gedeon said. “We presume that the majority of cases we got in May was from...

  False claims are fueling vaccine hesitancy in pockets, undermining efforts to vaccinate some of the most vulnerable people in Asia. Though Gerry Casida is on the priority list for a free Covid-19 vaccine in the Philippines because of his asthma, he’s isn’t planning to get the shot any time soon. A video he found on social media of a woman claiming vaccines are being used for genocide helps explain why. “I’ve read a lot of posts on Facebook about how many died in other countries because of vaccines, and how that’s being concealed,” the construction worker, 43, from Manila said. “My mom also consulted a folk healer, who said the vaccines could affect my heart.” Millions of people like Casida in some of the worst  Covid hotspots  in Southeast Asia are in no rush for inoculation or just saying no, swayed by disinformation on social media from both local sources as well anti-vaccination movements in the U.S. Those false claims are fueling vaccine hesitancy in some pockets of...

  President Joe Biden plans to announce on Thursday that the US will purchase and donate half a billion (50 crore) doses of   Pfizer vaccines   to 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries President Joe Biden plans to announce on Thursday that the US will purchase and donate half a billion (50 crore) doses of Pfizer vaccines to 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries and the African Union in a historic action that will help supercharge the global fight against the pandemic, according to the White House. This is the largest-ever purchase and donation of vaccines by a single country and a commitment by the American people to help protect people around the world from  COVID-19 , the White House said ahead of the announcement by Biden at the G-7 Summit in the UK. Biden has arrived in the UK on his maiden official overseas trip to Europe. Biden will also call on the world’s democracies to do their parts in contributing to the global supply of safe and effective vaccines...

  Covid vaccine doses will be administered on a priority basis to all those going abroad for studies and jobs Covid vaccine doses will be administered on a priority basis to all those going abroad for studies and jobs from Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayana said on Monday. “The National Health Mission (NHM) has added students and persons going abroad for higher studies and jobs in the revised list of preferential groups for vaccination from June 1,” Narayan told reporters here. The vaccination campaign for students and workers going to foreign countries will be launched at the Bengaluru City University from Tuesday. “The NHM has also included workers of milk cooperative societies and cable operators in the priority list for vaccination,” Narayan said. Those going overseas will have to show their visa, admission receipt, job order and relevant documents to get inoculated on a priority basis. District commissioners across the state have been instructed to issue el...

  North Korea has contended that some nations are hoarding stock of vaccines while others are suffering from a lack of supplies North Korea has slammed some countries for storing an excessive stock of COVID-19 vaccines while others suffer from a lack of supplies. In an official statement presented at the 74th World Health Assembly last week, North Korea also urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to help achieve a fair distribution of the vaccines across the globe. “The development of  COVID-19 vaccines  and medicines might be the achievement for the common mankind whereas an unfair reality is to be seen that some countries are procuring and storing the vaccines more than its needs by inspiring the vaccine nationalism plainly when other countries can’t even procure it with their affordability,” it said, reported Yonhap News Agency. Critising further Pyongyang also alleged countries for engaging in “national egoism with the vaccine and making bottleneck for the mass pro...

  Suitable for 12 yrs and above, Pfizer tells govt Seeking a fast-track approval for its COVID-19 vaccine, US major Pfizer has told Indian authorities that its jab has shown “high effectiveness” against the SARS-CoV-2 variant prevalent in India and on people of Indian ethnicity or nationality, while it is suitable for everyone aged 12 years or above and can be stored for a month at 2-8 degrees, sources said on Wednesday. Pfizer, which is ready to offer 5 crore doses to India between July and October this year and has sought certain relaxations including indemnification, has held a series of interactions with the Indian government authorities recently including one this week, during which it shared the most recent data points regarding efficacy trials and approvals for its vaccine in various countries and by the World Health Organisation (WHO). “The current situation in India, and across the world, is not business as usual’ and we must not respond to it with processes as usual too,”...

  Messenger RNA shots developed by Moderna or Pfizer and BioNTech are better at stopping people from becoming contagious, shows evidence. With hundreds of millions of people now vaccinated against Covid-19, the coronavirus outbreak should begin to die down in places where a large chunk of the population has been inoculated. But that isn’t happening everywhere. Instead, two paths are emerging: In countries such as Israel, new Covid cases are declining as vaccinations spread, while in other places like the Seychelles — which has fully inoculated more of its population than any other nation — infections continue to increase or even reach new highs. One reason for that may be the different types of vaccine being used. Evidence derived from the expanding global inoculation rollout indicates that the messenger RNA shots developed by Moderna Inc. or  Pfizer Inc . and BioNTech SE are better at stopping people from becoming contagious, helping reduce onward transmission — an unexpected...

  DRL to manufacture oral drug, which reduces oxygen dependency in patients Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday released the first batch of a keenly awaited anti-Covid-19 drug called 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in partnership with Hyderabad-based private firm Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL). The new drug is not a vaccination, or a preventive measure against being infected by coronavirus. Rather, the 2-DG molecule hastens the recovery of patients who are already suffering from the disease and are, in most cases, facing severe oxygen dependency. The drug is dispensed in powder form in a sachet, and taken orally after being dissolved in water. Rajnath Singh handed over the first batch of the drug in Delhi to the Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Harsh Vardhan. DRL Chairman Kallam Satish Reddy said his company would “increase the production ...

  India began vaccinating healthcare and frontline workers on January 16, 2021; people over the age of 60 from March 1,people between the ages of 45 and 59 from April 1. Is India beginning to see a COVID-19 vaccine effect? In three southern states and two major cities for which data are available, the share of the elderly in total deaths has begun to decline after vaccinations began for this demographic, an IndiaSpend analysis of data and interviews with experts show. The decline in share is not necessarily because cases and deaths among younger people have increased. India began vaccinating healthcare and frontline workers on January 16, 2021; people over the age of 60 (and those over 45 years, with comorbidities) from March 1; people between the ages of 45 and 59 from April 1; and people between the ages of 18 and 44 from May 1. As of 3.30 p.m. on May 12, India has injected 137.3 million people with one dose of either  Covishield  or Covaxin, and a further 37.8 million ...

  Sinovac has shipped some 380 million doses, but it still hasn’t published any data in an academic journal. Indonesia, one of the first nations to bet its Covid-19 vaccination campaign on Sinovac Biotech Ltd., was about to announce a stunning development, one that would help vindicate a shot that’s been shrouded in controversy for months. Over in Beijing, though, the company’s chief executive officer was unaware. A study of some 128,000 Jakarta health workers released Wednesday found  Sinovac’s vaccine  — known as CoronaVac — was far more protective than clinical trials had indicated. A day earlier, it wasn’t mentioned by CEO Yin Weidong in a wide-ranging interview with Bloomberg reporters, and representatives later confirmed the company didn’t know the announcement was coming. It’s a disconnect that echoes the events of Christmas Eve 2020, when the Chinese developer that will be key to vaccinating much of the developing world had little explanation for why Brazil and Tu...

  America’s top public health expert Dr Anthony Fauci has called for a scale-up in manufacture of coronavirus vaccines both domestically and globally to fight the deadly pandemic Getting people vaccinated is the only long-term solution to the current COVID-19 crisis in India, America’s top public health expert Dr Anthony Fauci said on Sunday as he called for scaling up manufacturing of coronavirus vaccines both domestically and globally to fight the deadly pandemic. The endgame of this all…is going to be to get people vaccinated…India is the largest vaccine-producing country in the world. They’ve got to get their resources, not only from within, but also from without, Fauci, who is the Chief Medical Adviser to US President Joe Biden, told the ABC News in an interview. That’s the reason why other countries need to chip in to be able to get either supplies to the Indians to make their own  Coronavirus vaccines  or to get vaccines donated. One of the ways to do tha...

  The government said that vaccination at the workplace would not only be convenient to the staff but it will also reduce the exposure to the virus by avoiding travel The government on Wednesday allowed Covid-19 vaccination at both public and private offices that have at least 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries over the age of 45. Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, through a letter, directed state authorities to initiate a discussion with public and private sector employers and managements to launch workplace vaccination centres from April 11. The government said that vaccination at the workplace would not only be convenient to the staff but it will also reduce the exposure to the virus by avoiding travel. The workplace management would designate one senior staff as the nodal officer who will coordinate with the district health authorities and private vaccination centres. The nodal officer would also oversee registration, physical and technical infrastructure. Only employees, and...

US science officials such as Anthony Fauci have suggested it will take 70 per cent to 85 per cent coverage of the population for things to return to normal When will the pandemic end? It’s the question hanging over just about everything since Covid-19 took over the world last year. The answer can be measured in vaccinations. Bloomberg has built the biggest database of Covid-19 shots given around the world, with more than 119 million doses administered worldwide. US science officials such as Anthony Fauci have suggested it will take 70 per cent to 85 per cent coverage of the population for things to return to normal. Bloomberg’s Vaccine Tracker shows that some countries are making far more rapid progress than others, using 75 per cent coverage with a two-dose vaccine as a target. Israel, the country with the highest vaccination rate in the world, is headed for 75 per cent coverage in just two months. The US will get there just in time to ring in the 2022 New Year (though North Dakota co...

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the incident Five people were killed on Thursday in a major fire that broke out in a Serum Institute of India factory, but the world’s largest vaccine maker said the incident would not affect the production of Covid-19 vaccine even as new launches may be hit. Sparks from welding work being carried out in the under-installation factory in Pune had triggered the fire that destroyed some floors of the building, local authorities said. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said an investigation and a fire audit will be done. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the incident. “In this sad hour, my thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest,” he tweeted. Serum Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla offered condolences over the loss of lives. “I would like to reassure all governments & the public that there would be no loss of  #Covishield ...

  Bangladesh approved procurement of 30 million doses of Covishield Covid-19 vaccine from India, co-developed by European pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University Bangladesh on Thursday approved procurement of 30 million doses of Covishield COVID-19 vaccine from India, co-developed by European pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Bangladesh drug regulator Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has authorised Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited to import and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine from India. In the initial six months of the first phase, Beximco will procure five million vaccine doses per month, reported Dhaka Tribune. “Beximco pharma can now import and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine from India. It will first supply the vaccine in meeting the government’s requirements. Then it can supply the vaccine to private hospitals approved by the government,” said DGDA Deputy Director Md Salauddin. Earlier on Monday, the government issued a...

  In the next few days, we should be able to give Covid-19 vaccines to our countrymen, said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan In the next few days, we should be able to give COVID-19 vaccines to our countrymen, said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan after his visit to the session site in Government General Hospital in Chennai to review the second dry run for coronavirus vaccination on Friday. “In a short time, India has done well by developing vaccines… In the next few days, in the near future, we should be able to give these vaccines to our countrymen. It will be given to our healthcare professional followed by frontline workers,” the Minister said. He added that the government has ensured that every detail regarding vaccination is conveyed to the people from the national level to the grassroots level. “Lakhs of healthcare workers are being trained through these dry runs, and the process to train more is still going on,” Dr Vardhan stated. The Minister is on a visit to T...

  The World Health Organization says it has cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use The World Health Organization says it has cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, meaning poorer countries may soon get access to the shot already available in Europe and North America. Every country that has a drug regulatory agency will have to issue its own approval for any COVID-19 vaccine, but countries with weak systems usually rely on WHO to vet the shots. The global body said late Thursday that the decision to issue its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine “opens the door for countries to expedite their own regulatory approval processes to import and administer the vaccine.” The UN health agency said its review found the  Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine , which has already received clearance in the United States, Britain, the European Union and a dozen other countries, “met the must-have criteria for safety and efficacy set o...