Geneva: Amid rising cases of COVID’s Delta variant, World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the world is now in the early stages of a third wave of the pandemic.

Speaking at the 8th meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Wednesday, the WHO chief said that the spread of the Delta variant, along with increased social mobility and the inconsistent use of proven public health measures, is driving an increase in both case numbers and deaths.

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“And after 10 weeks of declines, deaths are increasing again. The virus continues to evolve, resulting in more transmissible variants. Unfortunately, we are now in the early stages of a third wave,” Ghebreyesus said.

“The Delta variant is now in more than 111 countries and we expect it to soon be the dominant COVID-19 strain circulating worldwide if it isn’t already,” he added.

He also expressed worry over the “shocking disparity” in the global distribution of vaccines, and unequal access to life-saving means. Many countries still have not received any vaccines, and most have not received enough, he stressed.

The WHO-led Covax programme, the international vaccine-sharing initiative has shipped just more than 100 million doses, so far.

Ghebreyesus informed that vaccine inequity has created a two-track pandemic. In this, one track is for countries with the greatest access to vaccines, they are lifting restrictions and reopening their economies, and a second track is for those without vaccine access that are left “at the mercy of the virus”.

He reiterated WHO’s call for a massive boost in vaccination wherein at least 10 percent of the population of every country is inoculated by September, at least 40 percent by the end of 2021, and at least 70 per cent by mid-2022.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, meanwhile, stressed that vaccines alone will not stop the pandemic, urging countries to persist with a “tailored and consistent approach”. The measures include using the full array of public health and social measures, and a comprehensive risk management approach to mass gatherings.

“So many countries around the world have shown that this virus can be stopped and contained with these measures,” he stressed.

The health agency is also reviewing options to digitalise the International Certificate for Vaccination and Prophylaxis, to support a harmonised approach for recording vaccination status.

On Tuesday, WHO had stated that Delta is anticipated to be the most dominant COVID variant worldwide. 

“The increased transmissibility means that it is likely to become the dominant variant globally over the coming months,” the had WHO stated in its weekly update. 

(With Agency Inputs)

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Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made critical remarks over the NHRC report findings and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Varanasi on Thursday.

Talking about the NHRC report on alleged post-poll violence, Mamata Banerjee alleged that while submitting (NHRC) report in Calcutta High court, “they’ve leaked it”. “They should respect the court. If it is not a political vendetta, how can they leak the report? They are maligning the people of Bengal,” she said.

Drawing an example of Uttar Pradesh, she added: “PM Modi knows very well that there is no rule of law in UP. How many commissions has he sent there? So many incidents, from Hathras to Unnao, have taken place. Even journalists are not spared. They give a bad name to Bengal. Maximum violence was pre-poll”.

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These remarks come after some details regarding NHRC’s observations on post-poll violence in West Bengal were reported earlier. The NHRC report has been made on basis of around 1,000 cases out of 3,000 cases identified by the committee.

Reportedly, the instance of members being heckled, attacked, and even harassed has been found mention in the report where the local police allegedly played the role of mute spectators.

Violence and fear on women and children for family members voting for a certain political allegiance as well as the silence of the bureaucracy has been found mention in the report, it was stated.

Regarding this, CM Mamata has alleged that it is a purposeful leak in an attempt to give “a bad name to Bengal”, claiming that “maximum violence was pre-poll”.

Besides this, she also raked up the issue of COVID vaccination.

“We need 14 crore vaccine doses but we are not receiving vaccines adequately. We have received only 2.12 crore vaccines. We have bought 18 lakh vaccines ourselves. Some states are receiving more vaccines, some are not receiving at all,” Mamata Banerjee alleged.

Bringing up PM Modi’s address in Varanasi, she added: “In UP today, PM Modi said that most of the vaccines are being given to that state. If you don’t give money and vaccines to Bengal, that is injustice. He is slandering Bengal by misusing central agencies and running a political vendetta. He is unable to accept his loss”.

Meanwhile, she has suggested that she is open to meeting the Prime Minister during her visit to Delhi, despite the constant tussle between the state and union government.

Talking about the same, she said: “Now that the COVID situation has improved, I will go to Delhi during the Parliament session and meet some leaders there. I will meet the President and the Prime Minister if given an appointment”.

(With agency inputs)

New Delhi: Expressing ire over several states complaining about Covid-19 vaccine supply shortage, newly appointed Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said pointless statements are being made to create panic.

“The leaders who are making statements, that could create confusion and concern, need to introspect whether they have are at so much distance from the governance process that they are not having vaccine supply-related information prior hand,” he tweeted in Hindi.

READ: Coronavirus LIVE: Sputnik Light Vaccine To Be Launched Soon, Says Russian Envoy

Mansukh Mandaviya categorically stated that all states and Union Territories have been informed in advance about the number of vaccine doses to be sent to them for the month of July.

“Regarding the availability of the vaccine, I have come to know from the statements and letters of various state governments and leaders. This situation can be better understood by an actual analysis of the facts. The pointless statements being made only create panic among people,” he tweeted.

The Health Minister informed that 11.46 crore vaccine doses were made available to the states and Union territories in June and added this availability has been increased to 13.50 crore this month.

“To enable vaccination process through government and private hospitals 11.46 crore vaccine doses were made available to the state governments and Union Territories in the month of June and this availability has been increased to 13.50 crore in the month of July,” Mandaviya posted on the micro-blogging platform.

“The Central government had informed the states on June 19, about how many doses of the vaccine would be made available in the states in July. After this, on June 27 and July 13, the states were informed in advance about the availability of vaccines for the first and second fortnights of July,” he added in his tweet.

He said that the states know very well when and in what quantity they will get the vaccine doses.

“The Central government has done this so that the state governments can do the work of vaccination up to the district level by planning properly and people do not face any problem,” he added.

The Health Minister also questioned “mismanagement and long queues” of vaccine beneficiaries being seen outside vaccination centers in many states despite the Central government giving information in advance about the vaccine supply.

“If the Centre is already giving this information in advance and yet we see mismanagement and long queues of vaccine takers, then it is very clear what the problem is and who is the reason for it,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry informed that more than 39.59 crore vaccine doses have been provided to the states and Union Territories so far through all sources and a further 30,250 doses are in the pipeline.

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Tel Aviv: Israel has started administering a booster shot of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to people with weak immune systems, the media reported. It is one of the first countries to globally approve a booster shot.

The decision for the third jab comes as Israel is witnessing an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant, after being one of the first to fully inoculate more than 60 percent of adults in the country.

The Health Ministry will offer the third jab to immunocompromised patients, such as recipients of organ transplants, the Wall Street Journal reported.

This is following evidence that the booster shot may increase such patients’ antibody counts, according to a Health Ministry letter sent to Israeli healthcare providers, the report said.

The Ministry said the recommended time between a second and third shot would be eight weeks, with a minimum gap of four weeks.

While the booster shots are not yet rolled out for the general public, the government is, however, weighing the option.

Israel is trying to halt a new outbreak of the Delta variant and has launched a campaign calling teenagers over 12 years old to get vaccinated.

Although most reported cases have been mild or asymptomatic, there has been a steady rise in the number of infections.

On July 11, Israel also signed a deal with Pfizer to receive a new batch of COVID-19 vaccines in August.

In a statement at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that “last night we closed a deal to bring forward the next shipment of vaccines to August 1”, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said that together with existing vaccine stocks, the new batch will ensure “from this moment, a continuous inventory of vaccines in Israel”.

Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), last week, released a joint statement on vaccine boosters, saying that people who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe illness and death, including from emerging variants such as the highly contagious Delta variant.

“FDA, CDC, and NIH (National Institutes of Health) are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary,” said the statement.

Hyderabad: The Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, on Monday announced strong results of the study on neutralizing the activity of sera from individuals vaccinated with Sputnik V vaccine against new variants of SARS-CoV-2.

The company said vaccination with Sputnik V has produced protective neutralizing titers against new variants, including Alpha B.1.1.7 (first identified in the UK), Beta B.1.351 (first identified in South Africa), Gamma P.1 (first identified in Brazil), Delta B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3 (first identified in India) and Moscow endemic variants B.1.1.141 and B.1.1.317 with mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD).

“The methodology was based on the assessment of virus-neutralizing activity (VNA) using the live virus, which provides the most reliable data and is the gold standard. It compared neutralizing activity of Sputnik V induced sera to the internationally relevant variants with the neutralizing activity to the ancestral B.1.1.1 variant. The sera were obtained from individuals after vaccination with two doses of Sputnik V,” the company said.

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The study methodology was described in the research paper published in a leading international journal on July 12, 2021.

Sputnik V Reaches 50 Cities & Towns: Dr Reddy’s Labs

Meanwhile, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories on Monday clarified that the soft launch of the Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V has not been put on hold. “Neither the ongoing soft commercial launch nor work towards its ramp-up in India have been put on hold,” the Hyderabad-based company said in a statement.

The Hyderabad-based pharma major stated that the nationwide soft launch of the Russian vaccine has reached over 50 cities and towns across India. It said it will strengthen the commercial roll-out of Sputnik V in the coming weeks.

Starting initially in Hyderabad on Monday, the soft launch roll-out of Sputnik V has scaled up speedily and reached cities and towns all India. Dr Reddy’s gave a list of cities and town. Dr Reddy’s has partnered with major hospitals across the country for this purpose, all of whom have successfully administered Sputnik V in India, including ongoing commercial roll-out to the public, it added.

Dr Reddy’s clarification came amid reports that Sputnik V second dose shortage will delay the commercial roll-out. Under the soft launch, the company has reportedly administered more than 1.95 lakh doses at hospitals across the country. The company, which was originally planning a full roll-out in mid-June, is reported to have so far received about 30 lakh first doses and 3.60 lakh second doses.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Amid reports of Mumbai shutting vaccination centres due to unavailability of COVID-19 vaccines, Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale on Saturday (July 10) said that the party has planned to vaccinate the entire population of Dharavi in the next 2-3 months.

“We have planned to vaccinate 100 per cent population of Dharavi in next 2-3 months and booked 10,000 slots for vaccination at private hospitals in the first phase,” Shewale was quoted as saying by ANI.

“We will be booking 30,000 more slots in the second and third phases separately. Vaccines were ordered by these private hospitals earlier, as per guidelines by the Centre. Sponsors are coming up to support us for this drive,” he added. 

Dharavi, a slum colony, saw three fresh cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, as per data available on Saturday. The total caseload of the area has reached 6,913, while currently there are 19 active cases. 

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday suspended its vaccination drive in Mumbai for a second consecutive day due to shortage of jabs. The civic body in its statement also added that vaccination drive at these centres will resume only after they receive fresh stock. 

Centre revealed it has supplied over 38 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses to states and UTs so far. “More than 38.54 crore (38,54,01,150) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far, through all sources. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 36,80,68,124 doses (as per data available at 8 AM today)”, the official release by the ministry said. 

While more than 37.57 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, the Union health ministry added. 

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: The Union government has been urging pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID after it recently extended the inoculation drive for mothers-to-be.

“Scientific data is in favour of pregnant women receiving the three vaccines,” NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr VK Paul said in this regard. With several women anxious about the impact of vaccines and COVID infection, here’s what the medical experts have to say about the subject.

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As pregnant women can be protected from COVID-19, doctors stress that the benefits of vaccination seem to far outweigh any theoretical risk.

Like any other vaccine, the anti-COVID jabs can cause side effects that are normally mild. The mothers can get a mild fever, pain at the injection site, or feel unwell for 1-3 days but there is no greater risk reported.

Talking about this, Dr VK Paul on Friday said that available data on these vaccines suggests that they are safe to be used by pregnant women. “Apart from the mother, there is also risk to the child in case she contracts the infection,” he stressed.

In case there are any concerns or doubts, the mothers-to-be can speak to their doctor to clarify their apprehensions.

As for breastfeeding mothers, Dr Samiran Panda, head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division in the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) said that they can take the jab.

“Breastfeeding mothers should get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 without any hesitation. The anti-bodies that are developed in the mother as a result of the vaccination get passively transferred to the baby while breastfeeding and could be helpful to the child,” Dr. Panda said as quoted by news agency ANI.

COVID Risk & Impact

IANS spoke to Sonal Kumta, Senior Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Fortis Hospital Mulund, and Manjiri Mehta, Consultant Gynaecologist & Obstetrician, Hiranandani Hospital Vashi about concerns regarding COVID

According to the experts, it is important to note that pregnancy does not increase the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Most pregnant women are either asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms, but their health can deteriorate rapidly and that might affect the foetus.

So amid precautions to protect oneself from being infected, getting vaccinated is important and therefore advised.

The experts informed that symptomatic pregnant women appear to be at an increased risk of severe disease and death. Pregnant women with underlying medical conditions/comorbidities such as high blood pressure, obesity, age over 35 years, etc are at a higher risk.

How To Get Vaccinated?

All pregnant women can register themselves on the CoWIN portal or can opt for on-site registration at the COVID-19 vaccination centre. The process of registration for pregnant women remains the same as for all adults.

Women going for vaccination must ensure proper adherence to precautions such as wearing a double mask, frequent sanitising or handwashing, maintain physical distance and avoiding crowded areas.

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Mumbai: According to experts, the COVID-19 spread, like Influenza, will subsequently reach its endemic stage which means it will always be present in a certain population or region.

Dr. Samiran Panda, head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division in the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) said, “The COVID-19 virus will reach its endemic stage like Influenza after a while and then vulnerable population may have to take the vaccine shot annually.”

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“Influenza, commonly known as flu, was a pandemic 100 years ago but today it is endemic. Similarly, in the case of COVID-19, we expect that it will gradually become endemic from its current state of being a pandemic. Currently, we recommend the elderly to take annual flu shots. As the influenza virus keeps on mutating, we simultaneously make minor changes in the vaccine. So, there is no need to panic,” he added.

He also clarified the myths about COVID vaccines, as to whether breastfeeding mothers can take the jab. “Breastfeeding mothers should get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 without any hesitation. The anti-bodies that are developed in the mother as a result of the vaccination get passively transferred to the baby while breastfeeding and could be helpful to the child,” Dr. Panda said as quoted by news agency ANI.

He further informed that vaccines are absolutely safe for everyone, including those who are suffering from normal allergies like asthma, dust allergy, allergy of pollen grains, and have undergone three phases of clinical trials. 

“Patients with co-morbidities can take the vaccine if they are stable. It is advisable for people suffering from diabetes and other immuno-suppressed conditions to get vaccinated because they are at a higher risk,” he said.

Addressing concerns about the vaccines available in India, whether they are effective against the newer strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Dr. Panda said, “The vaccines available now largely are effective against the new variants. Vaccines are not infection preventing, but disease-modifying. Experiments at ICMR have proved that the vaccines presently available in India are effective against the new variants as well. However, the efficacy may differ for different strains”.

The ICMR official urged everyone to take any of the COVID vaccines available in the country instead of waiting for the ones that are available globally.

“Please understand that while people may be waiting for other vaccines which they may consider more convenient or superior, the virus is not waiting. The virus is still spreading in the country. What if you get infected, while you wait?” he said.

Dr. Panda also informed that it is futile to go for anti-body tests as immunity does not depend only on antibodies.

“The anti-bodies that are seen using the commercial kits available in the market are not necessarily the anti-bodies that can protect from COVID disease. Whenever a person gets vaccinated, two types of immunity emerge. One is known as neutralizing anti-body or anti-body mediated immunity. The second one is cell-mediated immunity. The third and the most important one is immune memory. Immune memory is generated after vaccination and is present in cells and whenever the virus enters the body, this gets activated,” he explained.

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Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday (July 9) wrote to newly appointed Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, urging him to ensure adequate supply of Covid vaccine to the state so that people can be inoculated before December.

More than 42 per cent of people above the age of 18 years have been given the first dose of vaccine, Gehlot said in his letter.

Rajasthan is being supplied an average of 1.75 lakh vaccines a day, whereas the state has a capacity to administer 15 lakh vaccines a day, the chief minister said.

Because of Rajasthan’s capability, “all the people of the state can be vaccinated before December”, but, we are worried about the way the supply is being done from the Centre”, Gehlot said.

The chief minister said that though, at present, Covid cases are on a steady decline, but still looking at the prediction of a third wave, the state has been steadily increasing medical infrastructure.

However, it is apparent that apart from Covid appropriate behaviour, vaccination is the only way to effectively counter the threat of a third wave, he said.

Over 2.59 crore people have already received their first dose of vaccination, and out of these, over 44 lakh have received their second dose, Gehlot said in his letter.

“The state has achieved negative wastage of vaccine,” he said. Around 65 lakh people will be due for their second dose by the end of July. The Centre has been allocating vaccines primarily on the basis of the target population, while greater consideration should be given to the number of people due for the second dose, Gehlot said.

The chief minister said that out of the total allocation, 25 per cent is earmarked for private medical institutions.

Looking to the present demand under this segment, the offtake is only around two per cent, which in effect further reduces our allocation substantially, he said.

“As a result, we have been indicated allocation of only 49 lakh doses up till July 31 for the state government (and 16 lakh for private medical institutions, which they will not be lifting). Thus, the allocation is not even going to cover the people due for the second dose,” Gehlot said.

“We have been requesting the government of India to not only increase our allocation but also to allocate full quota (100 per cent) to the state government,” he said.

Gehlot said that currently daily vaccination is limited to the extent of supplies received from the central government.

The daily average of vaccine doses received, since the start of vaccination drive for 18 years and above has been around two-three lakh only, he said.

(Inputs from agency)

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New Delhi: In order to neutralize the Delta variant, Pfizer on Thursday (July 8) said it will seek US authorisation for a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer’s Dr. Mikael Dolsten told The Associated Press citing the company’s study that people’s antibody levels jump five- to 10-fold after a third dose, compared to their COVID-19 vaccine’s second dose months earlier. 

Dolsten added that Pfizer plans to request the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization of a third dose in August, PTI quoted the report as saying. 

Delta strain, believed to have been first detected in India, is becoming dominant globally, raising concerns. 

Meanwhile, it was found that the first dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca ‘barely’ inhibits the Delta variant. As per researchers from France’s Pasteur Institute, in laboratory tests, blood from several dozen people given their first dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines ‘barely inhibited’ the Delta variant, as per the report in journal Nature, adding that full vaccination is critical.

In another study, researchers in Britain found two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are 96% protective against hospitalization with the delta variant and 88% effective against symptomatic infection.  Canadian researchers had also concurred with the study, while as per a report from Israel, protection against mild delta infection may have dipped lower, to 64%, the AP reported. 

Closer to home, India is likely to receive 3 to 4 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shots through COVAX, led by the GAVI vaccine alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), Reuters reported. The country aims to boost its vaccination drive amid the threat of a possible third COVID-19 wave. 

On the other hand, the world achieved a grom milestone as the global COVID-19 death toll surpassed the grim milestone of 4 million-mark, Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported. 

(With agency inputs)

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Mumbai: Sanofi and Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) received the necessary approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for conducting Phase-3 clinical study of its recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine candidate in India.

The global, randomised, double-blind Phase-3 study will involve more than 35,000 volunteers aged 18 and above across sites in the US, Asia, Africa, and Latin America as well as from India. The trials will determine the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of the adjuvanted recombinant-protein COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

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Sanofi and Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) on Thursday released a statement informing about the DCGI approval.

“India is participating in Sanofi Pasteur’s pivotal Phase-3 study, and subject to subsequent approvals, we should soon begin enrollment of study participants in the country,” Annapurna Das, Country Head, Sanofi Pasteur India, wrote in the statement.

“As the virus continues to evolve, we are anticipating what will be needed in the coming months and years, and accordingly, have adapted our vaccine development programme. We believe our COVID-19 adjuvanted, recombinant vaccine can make a significant contribution to the ongoing fight against COVID-19 and are committed to initiating our clinical programme in India, at the earliest,” she added.

In the two-stage approach, the study is going to initially probe the efficacy of a vaccine formulation targeting the original virus strain (D614) and then the second stage will evaluate a second formulation targeting the Beta variant (B1351).

Recent scientific evidence suggests that antibodies created against the Beta COVID variant can provide broad cross-protection against other more transmissible mutations.

Sanofi and GSK will also run clinical studies to determine the ability of the adjuvanted recombinant-protein COVID-19 vaccine candidate to generate a strong booster response irrespective of the type of vaccine initially received.

The Phase 3 study will be started after the global interim Phase 2 results showed that the adjuvanted recombinant COVID-19 vaccine candidate achieved high rates of neutralising antibody responses in all adult age groups.

The Phase-2 trial involved 722 adult volunteers from the US and Honduras between 18 to 95 years old. It did not raise any concerns regarding safety and also produced a strong immune response across all age groups.

According to inputs, the trial showed 95 percent to 100 percent seroconversion after a second injection was administered, while a single jab produced high neutralising antibody levels among people with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. This indicated the vaccine’s strong potential for development as a booster shot.

The French pharma company Sanofi and its British peer GSK are planning to produce up to 1 billion doses in 2021.

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New Delhi: A new study conducted on more than 100 healthcare workers (HCWs) at three centres found that the Delta variant eight times less sensitive to antibodies generated by the Covid-19 vaccine when compared to the original strain that came from China’s Wuhan. 

The collaborative study, “Sars-Cov-2 B.1.617.2 Delta Variant Emergence and Vaccine Breakthrough: Collaborative Study”, from India with scientists from Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease is yet to be peer-reviewed.

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The samples were taken from healthcare workers in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, and Northern Railway Central Hospital. The study found that the B.1.617.2 Delta variant not only dominates vaccine-breakthrough infections with higher respiratory viral loads compared to non-Delta infections (Ct value of 16.5 versus 19) but also generates greater transmission among the fully vaccinated HCWs. It revealed that in vitro, the Delta variant is approximately eight-fold less sensitive to vaccine-elicited antibodies compared to Wuhan-1.

“Across all scenarios considered, our results suggest the Delta variant is both more transmissible and better able to evade prior immunity elicited by the previous infection compared to previously circulating lineages,” the findings of the study read.

Dr. Chand Wattal, the chairperson of the Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, SGRH, said according to PTI, “From this study, it appears that we have miles to go before we sleep in case of COVID-19 pandemics. These mutations are bound to happen if we lower our guard and allow ourselves to fall prey to this virus, giving it an opportunity to multiply.”

“This is a straight eye-opener to the fully vaccinated people that you cannot lower guard in the name of vaccination. The virus is on the prowl, still looking for its prey. This mutant has come back with enhanced spike proteins for attachment to the lung epithelial cells which have provided it with a much higher capacity to infect many more people than the Wuhan strain,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

These combined epidemiological and in vitro data indicate that the dominance of the Delta variant in India has been most likely driven by a combination of evasion of neutralising antibodies in previously infected individuals and increased virus infectivity resulting in the second wave, the study said.

While severe disease in fully vaccinated HCWs was rare, breakthrough transmission clusters in hospitals associated with the Delta variant are concerning and indicate that infection control measures need to continue in the post-vaccination era, it said.

Based on recent data and the dominance of new infections by this variant, the B.1.167.2 Delta variant appears more transmissible than B.1.1.7 in the UK, it added.

“In the absence of published data on the transmissibility of the Delta variant, we predict that this variant will have a transmission advantage relative to Wuhan-1 with D614G in individuals with pre-existing immunity from vaccine/natural infection as well as in settings where there is low vaccine coverage and low prior exposure,” the study stated.

Lower protection against B.1.351, the variant with the least sensitivity to neutralising antibodies, has been demonstrated for at least three vaccines. However, progression to severe disease and death was low in all studies, it said.

Therefore, at population scale, extensive vaccination will likely protect against moderate to severe disease and will reduce hospitalisation due to the Delta variant, it said.

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New Delhi: In order to ramp up the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the state, Goa will launch a ‘Tika Utsav’ from July 5 which will focus on administering the second dose to beneficiaries, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed through his Twitter handle on Saturday (July 3). 

The drive has been termed ‘Tika 1.2’, an inspiration from Centre’s ‘Tika Utsav’ that began in April to boost the vaccination drive across the country. 

“The Government of Goa is now launching Tika Utsav 1.2 from 5th July 2021, that will emphasise on administration of the 2nd dose of Vaccine to those who have completed 84 days,” Sawant tweeted. 

The CM added that during the drive, all adults can get their first or second COVID-19 doses. “However, all persons above 18+ can walk-in to get either 1st or 2nd dose during this drive at any of the venues. The public may contact their local representatives / Health Officials for the time table of venue in their locality,” his tweet read. 

However, all persons above 18+ can walk-in to get either 1st or 2nd dose during this drive at any of the venues. The public may contact their local representatives / Health Officials for the time table of venue in their locality. 2/2

— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) July 3, 2021

According to the Union Health Ministry, 9,60,730 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Goa so far, out of which 8,37,780 are first doses. 

On Friday (July 2), the Goa government had extended the lockdown till July 12 with a few relaxations. CM Sawant relaxed the timing of the shops which are now allowed to open from 7 am to 6 pm. Moreover, the state government reopened the salons, outdoor sports complexes and stadiums after reviewing the COVID-19 situation. 

(With agency inputs)

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Chennai: As the number of COVID-19 patients are going down in the country, people are getting back to their normal lives. At a time when the second wave of COVID-19 hit the country and was at its peak with shortages of medicines, oxygen, and hospital beds, the ones who came to rescue were the auto drivers who turned their autorickshaws into auto ambulances. And, now when cases are declining and people are being inspired to take vaccines against the deadly virus, a Chennai-based artist has taken the initiative to create awareness among people about the importance of vaccines to get to our normal lives.

Several photos and videos of the ‘vaccine auto’ that hit the streets of Tamil Nadu’s capital city Chennai have now gone viral on social media. The posts went viral after it was shared on Instagram by a page named the Art Kingdom who is behind the design of the vaccine auto. The Covid-19 ‘Vaccine Auto’ was designed by Chennai-based artist B. Gowtham, and the core idea behind this is “to create awareness among people about how the vaccine is important to build immunity in our communities faster and can get back to normal lives”.

“The COVID-19 VACCINE AUTO . The core idea is to create awareness among people about how vaccine is important to build immunity in our communities faster and can get back to normal lives.we @artkingdom designed the complete outlook of the work. As usual we worked with complete waste to design the outlook,” read the caption of the posts about the ‘vaccine auto’.

The auto has been painted blue in color and designed with huge vaccine needles protruding from all its sides. The auto also has a vaccine vial at its top and a banner speaking about COVID-19 vaccines on its front. This vaccination awareness drive was started by the auto on June 25. It also has an audio system that plays information about vaccination along with guidelines about adopting Covid appropriate behaviour.

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New Delhi: Stirring up a controversy, a councillor of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was caught on camera giving a COVID-19 jab at a vaccination centre in Asansol. Some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders shared the video on microblogging site Twitter. They accused Councillor Tabassum Ara of giving the dose without any prior experience.

BJP leaders Babul Supriyo and Agnimitra Paul, shared the clip which shows Ara administering a shot by herself to another woman at vaccination camp.

Asansol MLA Agnimitra Paul in a tweet wrote: “TMC’s manhandling of the lives of people knows no bounds..A non-medical official, TMC’s Tabassum Ara, member of administrative board of AMC, chose to vaccinate the people herself, in spite of doctors and nurses being present there… Is she even medically authorised to do so?”

CHECK TWEET HERE: 

TMC’s manhandling of the lives of people knows no bounds..A non-medical official, TMC’s Tabassum Ara, member of administrative board of AMC, chose to vaccinate the people herself, in spite of doctors and nurses being present there… Is she even medically authorised to do so? pic.twitter.com/3WSFqKw6hE

— Agnimitra Paul Official (@paulagnimitra1) July 3, 2021

While, Babul Supriyo said: “Seems like TMC govt has no control over its administrators. TMC’s Tabassum Ara, a member of the administrative body of AMC, has vaccinated people herself and risked hundreds of lives… Will her political colour shield her from stern punishment?”

Though, Ara has denied the allegations. “I did not give any vaccine. I was only holding the syringe in my hand. There are a lot of people who are hesitant of taking the shots,” she waas quoted as saying by NDTV.

“While claims are being made that I administered the dose, I was just trying to spread awareness by holding the syringe,” she added.

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New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday (July 2, 2021) warned that the world is in a ‘very dangerous’ period of the COVID-19 pandemic as the Delta variant, first found in India, is continuing to evolve and mutate.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a media briefing on COVID-19 said that in countries with low vaccination coverage, terrible scenes of ‘hospitals overflowing’ are again becoming the norm.

“Compounded by more transmissible variants, like Delta, which is quickly becoming the dominant strain in many countries, we are in a very dangerous period of this pandemic,” Tedros said.

COVID-19 Delta variant is dangerous 

The WHO chief said that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is dangerous and is continuing to evolve and mutate. He stated that this COVID-19 variant requires constant evaluation and careful adjustment of the public health response.

Tedros informed that Delta has been detected in at least 98 countries and is spreading quickly in countries with low and high vaccination coverage.

ALSO READ  |  Johnson & Johnson claims its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine neutralises Delta variant

Two ways to push back against new surges

The WHO Director-General said that there are essentially two ways for countries to push back against new COVID-19 surges.

1. Tedros said that public health and social measures like strong surveillance, strategic testing, early case detection, isolation and clinical care remain critical. He also said that masking, physical distance, avoiding crowded places and keeping indoor areas well ventilated are the basis for the response.

2. The WHO Chief said that the world must equitably share protective gear, oxygen, tests, treatments and vaccines. “I have urged leaders across the world to work together to ensure that by this time next year, 70% of all people in every country are vaccinated,” he said. 

The WHO Director-General said that this is the best way to slow the pandemic, save lives, drive a truly global economic recovery and along the way prevent further dangerous variants from getting the upper hand.

ALSO READ  |  Covaxin ‘effectively’ neutralizes Delta variant of COVID-19, says America’s NIH

Vaccinate at least 10% of people by September

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the WHO is calling on leaders to vaccinate at least 10% of people in all countries by the end of this September. “This would protect health workers and those at most risk, effectively ending the acute stage of the pandemic and saving a lot of lives,” he said. Tedros stated that it’s a challenge but it’s possible because three billion COVID-19 vaccines have already been distributed.

“It is within the collective power of a few countries to step up and ensure that vaccines are shared, manufacturing is increased and that the funds are in places to purchase the tools needed,” he said.

ALSO READ  |  COVID-19 vaccine around 90% effective against Delta variant, Pfizer claims

New Delhi: Accepting recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Friday approved the vaccination of pregnant women against Covid-19.

The decision empowers the pregnant women to make an informed choice on taking the Covid vaccination.

This decision has been communicated to all the states and Union Territories to implement it under the ongoing National Covid Vaccination Program.

READ: As COVID Cases Surge In 6 States, Health Ministry Rushes Teams To Monitor Situation; Know All About It

Incorporating the recommendations of the foremost experts in the field of immunization, public health, disease control and information technology, the National Covid Vaccination Program – based on scientific and epidemiological evidence – gives priority to strengthening the country’s healthcare system by protecting the professionals, health and frontline workers, manning it, as well as protecting the most vulnerable population groups.

“Till date, all groups except pregnant women were eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Now, it is expanded to even pregnant women in the world’s largest Immunization drive,” the ministry said in a release.

The Union Health Ministry said the studies have shown that Covid-19 infection during pregnancy may result in rapid deterioration of health of pregnant women, adding they are at an increased risk of severe diseases and it might affect fetuses too.

Stating the matter has been examined by domain knowledge experts based on evidence indicating that pregnant women are at an increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19 compared to non-pregnant women in case they get infected, the ministry said: “Further, pregnant women with Covid-19 infection are at an increased risk for preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes including higher chances of neonatal morbidity.”

The ministry said the experts have also highlighted pre-existing co-morbidities, advanced maternal age, and high body mass Index as the factors for severe Covid-19 in pregnancy.

The ministry said the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) too has unanimously recommended vaccination for pregnant women. 

Stating that a national-level consultation on Covid-19 vaccination for pregnant women was also convened to build consensus on vaccination of pregnant women, the ministry said the consultation unanimously welcomed the recommendation of NTAGI to vaccinate pregnant women.

Accepting the recommendations from all, including professional bodies like FOGSI, CSOs, NGOs, Development Partner agencies, technical experts and state governments’ representatives, the ministry has prepared an operational guideline for vaccination of pregnant women, counselling kit for medical officers and Front Line Workers, and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material for general public to equip the states and UTs to carry out the vaccination of pregnant women.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus Live: Zydus Cadila Application For Zycov Jab Under Evaluation, Positive Response Expected, Says Niti Aayog

The pregnant woman opting for vaccination can be inoculated any time during their pregnancy at the nearest government or private Covid-19 Vaccination Center (CVC) after registration on CoWIN or by walk-in registration at the nearest CVC.  

The ministry further said the procedures and modalities of vaccination will remain the same as it is for any beneficiary above the age of 18 years under the National Covid Vaccination Program.

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New Delhi: Accepting recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Friday approved the vaccination of pregnant women against Covid-19.

The decision empowers the pregnant women to make an informed choice on taking the Covid vaccination.

This decision has been communicated to all the states and Union Territories to implement it under the ongoing National Covid Vaccination Program.

READ: As COVID Cases Surge In 6 States, Health Ministry Rushes Teams To Monitor Situation; Know All About It

Incorporating the recommendations of the foremost experts in the field of immunization, public health, disease control and information technology, the National Covid Vaccination Program – based on scientific and epidemiological evidence – gives priority to strengthening the country’s healthcare system by protecting the professionals, health and frontline workers, manning it, as well as protecting the most vulnerable population groups.

“Till date, all groups except pregnant women were eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Now, it is expanded to even pregnant women in the world’s largest Immunization drive,” the ministry said in a release.

The Union Health Ministry said the studies have shown that Covid-19 infection during pregnancy may result in rapid deterioration of health of pregnant women, adding they are at an increased risk of severe diseases and it might affect fetuses too.

Stating the matter has been examined by domain knowledge experts based on evidence indicating that pregnant women are at an increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19 compared to non-pregnant women in case they get infected, the ministry said: “Further, pregnant women with Covid-19 infection are at an increased risk for preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes including higher chances of neonatal morbidity.”

The ministry said the experts have also highlighted pre-existing co-morbidities, advanced maternal age, and high body mass Index as the factors for severe Covid-19 in pregnancy.

The ministry said the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) too has unanimously recommended vaccination for pregnant women. 

Stating that a national-level consultation on Covid-19 vaccination for pregnant women was also convened to build consensus on vaccination of pregnant women, the ministry said the consultation unanimously welcomed the recommendation of NTAGI to vaccinate pregnant women.

Accepting the recommendations from all, including professional bodies like FOGSI, CSOs, NGOs, Development Partner agencies, technical experts and state governments’ representatives, the ministry has prepared an operational guideline for vaccination of pregnant women, counselling kit for medical officers and Front Line Workers, and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material for general public to equip the states and UTs to carry out the vaccination of pregnant women.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus Live: Zydus Cadila Application For Zycov Jab Under Evaluation, Positive Response Expected, Says Niti Aayog

The pregnant woman opting for vaccination can be inoculated any time during their pregnancy at the nearest government or private Covid-19 Vaccination Center (CVC) after registration on CoWIN or by walk-in registration at the nearest CVC.  

The ministry further said the procedures and modalities of vaccination will remain the same as it is for any beneficiary above the age of 18 years under the National Covid Vaccination Program.

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New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has criticised former Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his latest tweet pertaining to COVID vaccines in India.

Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and wrote: “July is here, the vaccines have not arrived”, using the hashtag ‘WhereAreVaccines’.

Reacting to this, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan replied: “Just yesterday, I put out facts on vaccine availability for the month of July. What is Rahul Gandhi Ji’s problem? Does he not read? Does he not understand? There is no vaccine for the virus of arrogance and ignorance!! INC must think of a leadership overhaul!”.

 

The salvo comes a day after the Union Minister wrote about “seeing irresponsible statements from various leaders regarding Largest Vaccine Drive”.

He stated that “After GoI provided 75 percent of vaccines available for free, vaccination speed picked up and 11.50 crore doses were given in June. States have already been informed in advance about COVID-19 Vaccine supplies for July. This info was shared with States 15 days prior, along with details about day-wise supply”.

A total of 12 crore doses shall be made available in July. private hospital supply will be over and above this. If there are issues in states, it shows that they need to better plan their vaccination drives. Intra-state planning and logistics are the responsibility of the states, he added.

ALSO READ | India Registers 46K Coronavirus Cases In Last 24 Hrs, Covid Fatalities Remain Below 1000

Dr. Harsh Vardhan then went on to urge opposition leaders to desist from “their shameless urge to play politics even in the midst of a pandemic”.

He added that he would again request state leaders to spend more energy in planning and “not in creating panic”.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had criticised the union government. She had alleged that when other states are getting more vials, Bengal is being overlooked though the state has performed exceptionally in implementing the vaccine scheme.

Speaking to the media, Mamata Banerjee said, “We have administered 2.17 crore vaccine doses so far of which 18 lakh vials worth Rs 59 crore have been procured by the state government directly from the manufacturers. We have received 1.99 crore doses from the Centre of which 1.90 core have been administered. We are the best state as far as implementation, utilisation and execution of the vaccine drive are concerned.”

Hitting at Modi government for “not providing” enough vaccine doses to the state, the Chief Minister said, “We have no vaccines for which we are only administering the second dose now. Uttar Pradesh has received 3.15 crore doses, Maharashtra has got 3.17 crore doses, but we have been left out. Even the smaller states like Gujarat and Rajasthan are getting more doses, but a large state like West Bengal is being deprived”.

Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry, a total of 34,00,76,232 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 42,64,123 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.

(With Agency Inputs)

New Jersey: Johnson & Johnson on Thursday (July 1, 2021) announced findings from a small laboratory study, which revealed that the single-shot vaccine neutralizes the fast-spreading delta variant of COVID-19 and provides durable protection against infection. According to the company report, the vaccine jab generated strong, persistent activity against the Delta variant and other highly prevalent SARS-CoV-2 viral variants.

The data from the laboratory study revealed that the durability of the immune response lasted for at least eight months. The report also stated that the single-dose vaccine, elicited neutralising antibody activity against the Delta variant at an even higher level than what was recently observed for the Beta (B.1.351) variant in South Africa. 

Additionally, it said that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine demonstrated protection against hospitalisation and death, and provided 85 percent effectiveness against critical infections. 

“Today’s newly announced studies reinforce the ability of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to help protect the health of people globally,” said Paul Stoffels, MD, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson.

“We believe that our vaccine offers durable protection against COVID-19 and elicits neutralizing activity against the Delta variant. This adds to the robust body of clinical data supporting our single-shot vaccine’s ability to protect against multiple variants of concern,” Stoffels added.

Mathai Mammen, MD, PhD, Global Head, Janssen Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson, said, “Current data for the eight months studied so far show that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine generates a strong neutralizing antibody response that does not wane; rather, we observe an improvement over time. In addition, we observe a persistent and particularly robust, durable cellular immune response.”

“With each new dataset, we build on our solid foundation of evidence that our single-shot COVID-19 vaccine plays a critical role in ending the pandemic, which continues to evolve and pose new challenges to global health,” Mammen said.

The single-shot vaccine is now available in many countries. It received emergency use authorisation (EUA) in the United States on February 27 and Conditional Marketing Authorization (CMA) by the European Commission on March 11.

(With ANI inputs)

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Mumbai: Another case of fake COVID-19 vaccination camps has surfaced in the financial capital of the country as Mumbai police on Thursday registered a new First Information Report against eight persons for the same.

This is reported to be the 10th FIR registered in Mumbai after a racket that held unauthorized vaccination camps for housing societies and private firms was exposed last month.

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The latest case involves fake vaccination camps held for Inter Gold company, a police official informed.

As per the FIR registered at the MIDC Andheri police station, as many as 1,055 doses of fake COVID vaccines were administered to the company’s workers by the accused on four different dates in April and May. Later only 48 out of 1,055 workers were given vaccination certificates.

Inter Gold company then found out that the vaccine camp organisers had not taken any permission from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for conducting the drive.

The FIR named eight persons including prime accused Dr. Manish Tripathi, Arvind Jadhav of Shivam hospital, Pawan Singh, Anurag, Karim, Neha Sharma, Roshni Patel, and others. The official revealed that the accused had taken Rs 2.60 lakh from the company. 

Dr. Tripathi and five others have been arrested.

The racket came to light after the Hiranandani Heritage Residents Welfare Association registered a complaint with the police after suspecting that the vaccination camp conducted for its members by some of the accused on May 30 was dubious.

The Covid vaccination scam was first reported by Hiranandani Heritage Club in Mumbai’s Kandivali area. The housing society had filed a complaint with the police alleging that the residents were scammed by few persons who claimed to be from a private hospital and had organised a vaccination camp for its members on May 30.

They further suspected that the vaccine that was administered could be spurious.

The society has 435 flats, comprising three residential towers and as many as 390 members had received the jabs at the camp at Rs 1,260 per person.

Facilitator Rajesh Pandey allegedly claimed to be a sales representative from Kokilaben Hospital and negotiated with them for providing 400 vaccine doses on their society premises. Around Rs 5 lakh was paid to him for this vaccine camp.

(With Agency Inputs)

New Delhi: Dr. Reddy’s on Thursday revealed that the government panel has told the pharma firm that it doesn’t need to conduct Phase 3 trials and only requires to submit Russian safety data for approval in India.

This update comes after reports quoted sources as saying that the Central government’s Subject Expert Committee (SEC) had denied permission to Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories for conducting Phase 3 trials of Sputnik Light in India.

ALSO READ | ALERT! WHO Warns Against Taking Painkillers Before Getting COVID-19 Vaccine

However, as per the new inputs, the SEC of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has told Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories that it doesn’t need to do a separate Phase 3 trial of Sputnik Light in India. It only required to submit the Russian Phase 3 immunogenicity, safety, and efficacy data for approval in India.

The move can potentially speed up the approval and eventual rollout of the single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

After launching Sputnik V, Russia introduced its new single-dose COVID vaccine called Sputnik Light in May. The RDIF had earlier said that the Russian Sputnik Light vaccine demonstrates 78.6 percent to 83.7 percent efficacy among the elderly, according to real-world data collected by the Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province (Argentina).

It is also yet to be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Now, if approved in India, the country will get its first single-dose Coronavirus vaccine with Sputnik Light amid the ongoing vaccination drive.

Meanwhile, Indraprastha Apollo in Delhi began administering the Sputnik V vaccine for beneficiaries in a staged manner from June 30. As of Thursday, around 1000 persons have been administered the said vaccine, Indraprastha Apollo stated.

The spot registration and walk-in facility for the Russian vaccine are currently restricted and beneficiaries are urged to register and make appointments through the CoWIN app for the same.

(With Agency Inputs)

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New Delhi: ABP News on Thursday spoke to renowned chest surgeon, Dr Arvind Kumar from Medanta multi-specialty hospital in Gurgaon, on the current scenario of pandemic and potential third Covid wave, and what measures can limit the transmission of the infection if occurs any. 

Speaking on the glum situation that the doctor fraternity and the country have been facing from past 12 to 18 months, Dr. Arvind said, “We as country want to erase the bitter memory of this pandemic era at full pelt”.

Speaking on the preparedness, Dr. Arvind said, “Timely lockdown and extra precautions taken last year curbed the severity of Covid-19. The government took historical step imposing timely lockdown in the country. However, we lack the preparedness to fight second wave this year. And our poor preparedness prior second COVID wave cost us massive life loss in the country,” he said. 

Speaking on the severity of Covid variants occurring due to constant mutation of the viruses, the chest expert said, “We can’t tell how serious could be the third wave as the novel coronavirus bursting out into new variant every time changing its behaviour. So there are two things which could help us to check the severity of third wave: firstly from the public end, people should religiously follow the Covid appropriate behaviour which include the four-step protocol of wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, not gathering as crowd in places and washing hands at frequent intervals. Secondly, it is the duty of our scientific communities and various medical research bodies like ICMR and CSIR to conduct real time monitoring of the virus and share the new scientific information with public as this will help us in strategic preparedness and response plan to new variants of the virus. Besides, Covid restraint and vaccines jabs are the most powerful weapons that we can have to fight against the virus,” the lungs specialist said.

Is Covaxin effective on Delta, Delta Plus, and other variants?

On this, Dr. said, “The final answer on this is yet come from the experts as it is a subject of a research.” Citing a recent U.S. Health Research Institute’s report that says, Covaxin is effective on Delta and Delta plus, he said, “As matter of fact, the vaccine is effective and curbs the severity of viruses, and reduces mortality rate, however, only research will tell if the vaccine is 100% effective. But based on available date on vaccine, it is effective and every single person in the country should get their dose.”

 Being a lung expert, Dr Arvind Kumar also gave tips on breathing techniques. Check out video for details.

On foreign vaccines

Not taking the available vaccine jabs in country and waiting for foreign vaccines is a sheer act of mindlessness. This act simply exposes one to the coronavirus. He said, “My clear cut suggest to people is that, vaccines like Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V are effective and safe with good efficacy. So I request everyone to get any of these vaccines in your vicinity. You can get foreign vaccines later when it arrives to country as a booster dose, but do not skip the available vaccines for waiting for the foreign jabs,” he said.

Finally the chest surgeon said, “We should not assume Covid as the last virus that attacked humanity, we have seen SARS, MERS, and Ebola in past and there are possibility new viruses in coming time too. Accordingly, we need to advance our health sector in order to protect our people from severe Covid variants and other new virus occur in time ahead and protect out new generation.”

The country is celebrating 1st July as Doctors Day to mark gratitude to the life saviours!

New Delhi: The Central government’s Subject Expert Committee (SEC) denied permission to Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories for conducting Phase 3 trials of Sputnik Light in India, news agency ANI credited sources as informing.

Sputnik Light is developed by the Russian Ministry of Health, the Gamaleya National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

ALSO READ | PM Addresses Medicos On Doctors’ Day, Announces Rs 50,000 Credit Scheme For Healthcare Improvement

“The SEC has denied permission to Dr. Reddy’s to conduct phase-3 trials on the Russian vaccine Sputnik Light in India,” sources told ANI.

After launching Sputnik V, Russia introduced its new single-dose COVID vaccine called Sputnik Light in May. The RDIF had earlier said that the Russian Sputnik Light vaccine demonstrates 78.6 percent to 83.7 percent efficacy among the elderly, according to real-world data collected by the Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province (Argentina).

It is also yet to be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Besides Sputnik Light, Serum Institute of India (SII) too had to face a disappointing development as an expert panel of the central drug authority recommended against granting permission to conduct the phase 2/3 trial of Covovax vaccine on children aged two to 17 years.

The SII had applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Monday seeking permission for conducting a trial of Covovax on 920 children, 460 each in the 12-17 and 2-11 age groups, at 10 sites.

“The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), which deliberated on the application, noted that the vaccine has not been approved in any country,” a source said, as quoted by PTI.

The SII has been asked to submit the safety and immunogenicity data (of Covovax) from the ongoing clinical trial in adults before proceeding with the trials on children, it was reported.

It was announced last month that NVX-CoV2373 demonstrated 100 percent protection against moderate and severe disease, and 90.4 percent overall efficacy, in its Phase 3 trial.

Meanwhile, Indraprastha Apollo in Delhi began administering the Sputnik V vaccine for beneficiaries in a staged manner from June 30. As of Thursday, around 1000 persons have been administered the said vaccine, Indraprastha Apollo stated,

The spot registration and walk-in facility for the Russian vaccine are currently restricted and beneficiaries are urged to register and make appointments through the CoWIN app for the same.

 

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New Delhi: Nine European countries have listed Covishield on the national guidelines for travel amid the COVID crisis, a development that comes even as the European Union Green pass that comes into effect from today for inter bloc travel. The countries which have approved the Covishield vaccine include Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Estonia, Ireland, Spain and Estonia.

Importantly, Estonia has confirmed, sources told a leading news organisation that “will recognize all the vaccines authorized by Government of India for travel of Indians to Estonia.”

That means that both Covishield and Covaxin vaccinated persons are allowed in the country, along with Sputnik and Moderna. Estonia in northern Europe is the first EU member country to list both the India-made vaccines.

Switzerland has allowed Covishield as Schengen state or the common area comprising of 26 European countries that have a common visa policy. Iceland, which is not part of the block but the European Economic Area has also agreed to the Serum Institute of India-made vaccines. Both Switzerland and Iceland are not part of the EU bloc.

The development comes amid a row over the EU green pass or European Union (EU) Digital Covid Certificate that uses the European Medicines Agency (EMA) list of approved vaccines. 

EMA commercially authorises vaccines in the bloc and has listed only four vaccines none of which are India-made vaccines. India has reached out to member countries of the European Union, urging to list India-made covid vaccines–Covaxin and Covishield on the national travel lists formed in the backdrop of Covid crisis.

New Delhi has also urged the EU member counties to accept the vaccination certificate issued through India’s CoWIN portal. The CoWIN portal is a digital platform India is using as part of its vaccination drive against the COVID.

As part of a reciprocal win-win situation for all, nationals from all countries which have accepted Indian proposals will be exempted from mandatory quarantine with Indian authorities recognizing the EU green pass.

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