Budget 2018-19

  Experts say more real-world studies are required now Bharat Biotech has updated the efficacy of Covaxin to 65.2% against the  De lta variant  in – Effectiveness Study on Delta Variant – Lancet Infectious Diseases, published on Nov 23 2021. “Bharat Biotech commends the investigators from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on the BBV152 study published in Lancet Infectious Diseases. These results provide evidence for effectiveness for Covaxin in real life settings,” Bharat Biotech said. It added that an effectiveness result of 50% achieved during the peak Covid-19 Delta variant wave in India, in a high risk study population of physicians and health care workers, in a hospital environment, and who are challenged repeatedly with high viral loads, provides insights into the efficacy and effectiveness of Covaxin.. “These results compare well with the 65.2% efficacy against the delta variant obtained during the controlled phase III clinical trials of  Cov...

  The technical advisory group will now meet on November 3 for a final assessment. The World Health Organisation’s technical advisory group on Tuesday sought “additional clarifications” from  Bharat Biotech  for its Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin to conduct a final “risk-benefit assessment” for Emergency Use Listing of the vaccine. The technical advisory group will now meet on November 3 for a final assessment. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which has developed Covaxin, had submitted EOI (Expression of Interest) to the WHO on April 19 for the vaccine’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL). The technical advisory group met on Tuesday to review data on Covaxin for the emergency use listing of India’s indigenously-made vaccine. “The TAG met today (26 October 2021) and decided that additional clarifications from the manufacturer are needed to conduct a final EUL risk-benefit assessment for global use of the vaccine,” the WHO said in an email response to a question by PTI on the decision re...

  Animal vaccine maker Hester Biosciences, on the other hand, is setting up a greenfield BSL-3 facility in Gujarat to make Covaxin Covaxin might soon be produced in the neighbourhood of Covishield after Hyderabad-based vaccine maker  Bharat Biotech  started engineering batches of Covaxin at Biovet’s Manjari plant near Pune. Meanwhile, Covaxin production will touch 55 mn doses a month from October.Biovet is an associate firm of Bharat Biotech. “At present engineering batches are on at the Manjari plant. Soon, commercial production will start,” said a source close to the developments. ngineering batches are run to test the functionality of the installed equipment. The Manjari plant spread over 12 hectares was acquired by Biovet. It is a ready to use vaccine plant that belonged to a Merck & Co subsidiary Intervet India. Intervet is exiting business operations in India and has thus sold the Manjari unit to Biovet. Meanwhile, Krishna Ella, chairman and managing director of...

  Research shows that children are not the main source of transmission of Covid-19 in the community, school reopening is unlikely to lead to a third wave Reopening schools is unlikely to cause a third Covid-19 wave or lead to a large increase in cases in adults, even with the more infectious Delta variant, experts say and scientific research has shown. With a majority of India’s children having lost a year-and-a-half of learning, the benefits of opening schools with precautions far outweigh the risks. An analysis of various studies shows that there was limited Covid-19 transmission in schools if precautions such as wearing masks, ensuring ventilation in classrooms and avoiding overcrowding were followed. Despite the more transmissible Delta variant having increased the number of Covid-19 cases in those below 18 years in the UK and the US, severe cases and deaths are still at similar levels as in 2020 and the rate of severe cases and deaths is lower in children than older people, da...

  Covishield production to cross 120 mn doses a month, Covaxin 58 mn doses a month Production of both  Covishield  and Covaxin – Covid-19 vaccines from Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech – is set to rise from next month. The target of 1.35 bn vaccine doses between August and December, however, looks like a long haul. According to a response given in the Rajya Sabha, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said recently that the monthly production capacity of Covishield is projected to increase from 110 mn doses to more than 120 mn doses a month, whereas the production capacity of Covaxin is projected to increase from 25 mn doses a month to around 58 mn doses a month. Mandaviya added that apart from this, the Centre has also facilitated further capacity augmentation of Covaxin at central public sector enterprises including Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Mumbai; Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad and Bharat Immunological...

  Officials have confirmed that the new outbreak is caused by the Delta strain The rise of the highly-contagious  Delta variant  is challenging even the most aggressive Covid-19 containment regimes, an ominous sign as economies look to open up and return to pre-pandemic life. An outbreak that started at an airport in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing is testing that country’s zero-tolerance measures, which are some of the most sweeping and comprehensive in the world. New infections are rising by the dozens and seeding subsequent clusters around China despite well-honed systems of mass testing and stringent quarantines. Beijing reported its first locally-transmitted infection in six months Thursday, linked to an outbreak in the southern province of Hunan among people who’d recently been to Nanjing. The variant is scaling some of the toughest virus defenses, with “Covid Zero” places —countries that had snuffed out the virus within their borders — still seeing outbreaks de...

  The agency said the suspension – which put the EUA application on ice – was due to missing data from the vaccine’s clinical trials As controversy over the $324-million deal for 20 million doses of Covaxin with Brazil brews, on Monday some reports pointed out that the Brazilian regulator had not granted Bharat Biotech — the makers of Covaxin — emergency-use authorisation (EUA). The Hyderabad-based company’s website noted that on June 4, ANVISA — the Brazilian regulator — had authorised the “exceptional import of  Covaxin  by the health ministry for distribution and use under controlled conditions”. This is a departure from the June 30 press statement wherein the company had clarified it had not received any money from Brazil’s health ministry. On Monday, NDTV reported that ANVISA “suspended the deadline for evaluating the application for emergency use of Covaxin”. The agency said the suspension — which put the EUA application on ice — was due to missing data from the vac...

  Nepal government has decided to procure four million Covid-19 vaccines manufactured by China’s Sinopharm under a non-disclosure agreement The Nepal government has decided to procure four million Covid-19 vaccines manufactured by China’s Sinopharm under a non-disclosure agreement. However, the government has not disclosed the price of the vaccine. Since it is to be signed under a non-disclosure agreement, there is no provision of making public the rate of each dose, a senior Nepal government official told IANS. During a meeting of Covid Crisis Management Centre on Wednesday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said the vaccines were expected to arrive by the end of June. Nepali media have speculated the price of the vaccines to be between $18 to $21 for two doses. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raghubir Mahaseth confirmed the government’s decision to buy the  Chinese vaccines  developed by Sinopharm which were earlier branded as Verocell. Nep...

  The study was aimed at analysing the antibody response after two complete doses of Covishield and Covaxin in Indians Indian health care workers who were administered Covishield have shown better antibody response than the Covaxin recipients, revealed a recent study. The study, published in an online archive for unpublished manuscripts in medical sciences medRxiv, showed that after two shots of the vaccines, 98 per cent recipients of Covishield showed antibody response, while the same was 80 per cent among Covaxin recipients. The study published by a group of doctors – Awadhesh Kumar Singh, Sanjeev Ratnakar Phatak, Ritu Singh, Kingshuk Bhattacharjee, Nagendra Kumar Singh, Arvind Gupta, and Arvind Sharma – has not been peer-reviewed yet. The researchers have declared no competing interest and that no funding was received for this cross-sectional study. The study was aimed at analysing the antibody response after two complete doses of Covishield and Covaxin in Indians. “We assessed ...

  The schedule is also being drawn up keeping in mind that crew who do not have fixed working days Air India (AI) has said a schedule for vaccinating its employees is being drawn up and all employees will be vaccinated by May-end. The national carrier issued a statement after its pilots threatened to stop work over lack of management support for employee vaccination. “Air India has already held camps on office premises for vaccination of 45 years and above employees. Since May 1, as all persons 18 years and above can be vaccinated, a schedule for vaccination is now being drawn up and it is expected to commence as early as next week. All employees will be vaccinated by end of this month, that is May 2021. The schedule is also being drawn up keeping in mind that crew who do not have fixed working days,” Air India said. The airline’s announcement has brought cheer for its employees and customers alike. “With no health care support to the flying crew, no insurance, and a massive opport...

  The assessment is based on data from 3.8 million people Russian scientists have found the Sputnik V vaccine 97.6 per cent effective against Covid-19 in a “real-world” assessment based on data from 3.8 million people, Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund said on Monday. The new effectiveness rate is higher than the 91.6 per cent rate outlined in results from a large-scale trial of Sputnik V that was published in The Lancet medical journal earlier this year, and compares favourably with data on the effectiveness of other Covid vaccines. The new data was based on 3.8 million Russians who received both a first shot and a booster shot as part of the national roll-out of  Sputnik V . “This data confirms that Sputnik V demonstrates one of the best protection rates against coronavirus among all vaccines,” said Kirill Dmitriev, head of the RDIF sovereign wealth fund which is backing the vaccine. The incidence of infection was calculated from the 35th day...

  The Biden administration has conveyed to New Delhi that it understands India’s pharmaceutical requirements and promised to give the matter a due consideration The Biden administration has conveyed to New Delhi that it understands India’s pharmaceutical requirements and promised to give the matter a due consideration, observing that the current difficulty in the export of critical raw materials needed to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines is mainly due to an Act that forces American companies to prioritise domestic consumption. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump had invoked the war-time Defence Production Act (DPA) that leaves US companies with no option but to give priority to the production of COVID-19 vaccines and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for domestic production to combat the deadly pandemic in America, the worst-hit nation. Since the US has ramped up the production of  COVID-19 vaccines  mostly by Pfizer and Moderna so as to meet the goal of ...

  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...

  Pakistan launched a five-day anti-polio vaccination drive on Monday, despite challenges by the deepening third wave of the coronavirus across the country. Pakistan launched a five-day anti-polio vaccination drive on Monday, despite challenges by the deepening third wave of the coronavirus across the country.Around 285,000 frontline workers, respecting COVID-19 safety protocols, will go door-to-door in all 156 districts across Pakistan to give polio drops, according to an official statementIt said that over 40 million children under the age of five will be given anti-polio vaccine during the campaign that aims to raise the immunity of children that remain at risk of the crippling disease. It is an absolute must that all our eligible children stay protected against vaccine preventable diseases including polioIt’s every Pakistani’s national duty to ensure that your own children, as well as those around you, are administered polio vaccine without fail, said Dr. Faisal Sultan, the Spe...

  India is, however, not officially banning Covid-19 vaccine exports. “This is a temporary move until the supply situation stabilises in the country,” said a person close to the development India has put a temporary hold on all major exports of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine made by Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest vaccine-maker, to meet domestic demand as infections rise, multiple sources confirmed. A person close to the development said that in the light of rising demand for Covid-19 vaccines, the health ministry has conveyed to SII that it should prioritise deliveries to the government of India over export commitments. The entire production of 60 million doses in April will be supplied to the government. India is, however, not officially banning  Covid-19 vaccine  exports. “This is a temporary move until the supply situation stabilises in the country,” said the person. Covid vaccine inventories have hit a low at places like Mumbai, and the gover...

  So far, only those above 45 who had certain co-morbidities were allowed to take the vaccine after producing a letter from a registered doctor The government has decided to open up its Covid-19 vaccination drive for all above 45 years of age from April 1, and requested that all eligible people should “immediately register and get vaccinated”. The rest of the population could be considered for vaccination coverage once the current stage is over.The government has decided to open up its Covid-19 vaccination drive for all above 45 years of age from April 1, and requested that all eligible people should “immediately register and get vaccinated”. The rest of the population could be considered for vaccination coverage once the current stage is over. The government has decided to open up its  Covid-19 vaccination  drive for all above 45 years of age from April 1, and requested that all eligible people should “immediately register and get vaccinated”. The rest of the population ...

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 4.72 crore with 19,65,635 doses being given on Monday, the Union Health Ministry said. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 4.72 crore with 19,65,635 doses being given on Monday, the Union Health Ministry said.A total of 4,72,07,134vaccine doses have been given till 7 pm on Monday, according to a provisional report. These include 78,30,626 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 49,30,888HCWs who have taken the second dose, 81,72,121frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose and 27,93,013FLWs who have taken the second dose. Besides 1,94,07,739beneficiaries aged above 60 years and 40,72,747 beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 with specific co-morbidities have been administered the first dose. “Total 19,65,635vaccine doses were given till 7 pm on Monday, the sixty-sixth day of the nationwide  COVID-19 vaccination . Out o...

 In Tamil Nadu, apart from online registration, the state administration also allowed people to walk in and register for coronavirus vaccinations in phase-2. Since Monday morning the vaccination center at the government hospital in Chennai was unusually busy as people walked in to get the Coronavirus vaccine shotThe situation was similar at various government hospitals in Chennai In Tamil Nadu, apart from online registration, the state administration also allowed people to walk in and register for vaccinations Seventy-year old S Jayaraman, who reached the government general hospital in Chennai at 8.30am waited patiently for his turn to register. He said he was not anxious ahead of taking the taking the vaccine and authorities had told him that he could choose the vaccine. Next to Apollo’s main hospital in Chennai, a vaccination center run by the hospital saw a good response. Fifty-eight-year old Venkatramaih, executive director of an automobile company walked into Apollo’s center t...

  The social network said in a statement late on Monday that the move is taken after consultations with leading health organisations, including the WHO Facebook has announced to expand its efforts to remove false claims on its own platform and Instagram about Covid-19 and its vaccines. The expanded list of false Covid-19 and vaccine-related claims that will be removed include: Covid-19 is man-made; vaccines are not effective at preventing the disease they were created to protect against; it’s safer to get a disease than to get its vaccine and vaccines are dangerous, toxic, or cause autism, among others. The social network said in a statement late on Monday that the move is taken after consultations with leading health organisations, including the WHO. Starting this week in the US, Facebook will feature links in the  Covid-19  Information Center to local ministry of health websites to help people understand whether they’re eligible to get vaccinated and how to do so. “And ...

Ramaphosa said the vaccine would boost the fight against the pandemic South Africa has received the country’s first consignment of 1 million Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccines which arrived from the Serum Institute of India (SII). President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President David Mabuza and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, among other officials, lined up on the tarmac of OR Tambo airport to welcome the vaccine cargo, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. Ramaphosa said the vaccine would boost the fight against the pandemic. “Today marks a major milestone in our fight against the coronavirus pandemic as we receive our first consignment of the   Coronavirus vaccine . This batch will benefit our healthcare workers who have been at the forefront of keeping us all safe,” Ramaphosa said. “We thank all South Africans and all the researchers who have contributed toward ensuring the successful development of the vaccine,” he added. The vaccination program was said to be organised and coo...