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corona vaccine

Centre expert panel suggests on whether India will allow Covid booster doses

by Medically Speaking December 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

An expert panel of India’s central drug authority told the Serum Institute of India (SII) on Friday that before a potential booster dose of the Covishield vaccine can be approved, the Pune-based firm must provide local clinical trial data, as well as a proposal and justification for the approval.

According to officials familiar with the development, cited by the PTI news agency, the subject expert committee (SEC) on Covid-19 at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) reviewed SII’s application for Covishield as booster dose and after “detailed deliberation”, recommended the company must submit local clinical trial data and the justification for additional jabs.

The Pune-based SII on December 1 requested the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to authorise Covishield as a booster dose, citing the emergence of new coronavirus variants in the country and an adequate stock of vaccines to tackle that growing concern.

Prakash Kumar Singh, the director of government and regulatory affairs at SII, also referred to the UK’s medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency giving a go-ahead to the booster doses of the AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine.

Developed in the United Kingdom by the University of Oxford and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca, the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is sold here by the Serum Institute under the brand name Covishield.

The SII official, while submitting his plea to the central authority, is said to have cited the fact that many countries have already started administering booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines, indicating that maybe it is time India, too, did the same.

“You are aware that now there is no shortage of Covishield in our country and the demand for a booster dose is increasing day by day from the people who have already taken two doses in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and emergence of new strains,” Singh was quoted as saying.

Notably, it is not just the SII that is pushing for the approval of a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. States like Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh have also recently urged the central government to decide on allowing the said booster doses amid growing concerns over Omicron.

The Centre, for its part, informed Parliament on Friday the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation and the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 are presently deliberating and considering scientific evidence for the need and justification for a booster dose against Covid-19.

According to the information available on www.ourworldindata.org, more than 60 countries across the world have already authorised booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, minister of state for health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply.

December 11, 2021 0 comment

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It is “highly unlikely” for Omicron to dodge vaccine immunity: WHO

by Medically Speaking Team December 8, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

According to a top WHO official, Omicron does not appear to produce more severe disease than prior COVID-19 variations and is “very unlikely” to entirely evade vaccine safeguards.

While much more needs to be studied about the novel, significantly mutated variety of COVID-19, preliminary research suggests it does not make individuals sicker than Delta and other strains.

“The preliminary data doesn’t indicate that this is more severe. In fact, if anything, the direction is towards less severity,” WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said in an interview, insisting though that more research was needed.

“It’s very early days, we have to be very careful how we interpret that signal,” he said.

At the same time, he said there was no sign that Omicron could fully sidestep protections provided by existing COVID-19 vaccines.

“We have highly effective vaccines that have proved effective against all the variants so far, in terms of severe disease and hospitalisation,” the 56-year-old epidemiologist and former trauma surgeon said.

“There’s no reason to expect that it wouldn’t be so” for Omicron, he said, pointing to early data from South Africa where the variant was first detected that “suggest the vaccine at least is holding up in protection terms”.

Mr. Ryan acknowledged it was possible that the existing vaccines might prove less effective against Omicron, which counts more than 30 mutations on the spike protein that dots the surface of the coronavirus and allows it to invade cells.

But he said it was “highly unlikely” it would be able to evade vaccine protections altogether.

“We have to confirm if there’s any lapse in that protection, but I would expect to see some protection there,” he said.

“The preliminary data from South Africa wouldn’t indicate that we will have a catastrophic loss of efficacy. In fact, the opposite at the moment,” Mr. Ryan said.

In the fight against all COVID-19 variants, he said, “the best weapon we have right now is to get vaccinated.”

Two weeks after first being identified, Omicron has been found in dozens of countries around the world.

Early data from South Africa indicates that the new variant is likely more transmissible than previous variants, Mr. Ryan said, adding that this was not a surprise.

“When any new variant emerges, it will tend to be more transmissible, because it’s got to compete with previous variants,” he said.

Mr. Ryan said one could expect Omicron to gradually replace Delta as the dominant strain.

But he pointed out that Omicron had so far been seen spreading especially quickly in South Africa, where Delta had waned, and may just be “exploiting a gap in the transmission of Delta”.

There are also indications that Omicron is better at infecting people who have been vaccinated or already had COVID-19.

“There is some evidence to suggest that reinfection with Omicron is more common than it was with previous waves or previous variants,” Mr. Ryan said.

But, “we’re particularly interested in seeing not whether you can be reinfected with Omicron, but whether any new infection is more or less severe,” he said.

He said that, as the current COVID-19 vaccines aim to prevent severe disease but do not necessarily protect against simply contracting the virus, reinfections with mild or no symptoms were of lesser concern.

In any case, Mr. Ryan said, despite its mutations, the new variant was still COVID-19, and should be fought with the same measures, including vaccines, masks and physical distancing.

“The virus hasn’t changed its nature. It may have changed in terms of its efficiency, but it hasn’t changed the game entirely,” he said.

“The rules of the game are still the same.”

December 8, 2021 0 comment

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Vaccination will prevent severities of Omicron: Dr Padma, Chief of Neurology Dept, AIIMS

by Medically Speaking Team December 6, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

The burning issue right now omicron variant how much do we need to worry we have two cases which have been found in India the first case one of the cases a Doctor who has had no foreign contacts and no history of foreign travel. Does it mean that omicron is already in India that perhaps it’s possible it could have already spread or is it too early to press the panic button?

Dr. Padma: I think it is now three cases I just heard that the third case has been turn omicron positive in Gujarat from again and international travel so these cases are bound to come up now as regards the positivities in a person who did not have a travel history that’s a concern that you have raised now we also know that this been also from The Who that this variant is about three times more infectious so it certainly seems to have a precedence in terms of infectivity over and about the delta variant so obviously when there is a contact with an infectious person around so the infection rate would spread now as regards the fear versus being alert versus pressing the panic button when you press the panic button it leads to some kneejerk reactions and also to probably some of the actions which are undesirable what at this time we need is to be fearful because when you’re fearful you are on guard you’re alert and therefore you would take preventative measures so said that whatever information has come up it does see that it is definitely more transmissible and more infections and the who has also said that the reinfection rate means that those who had COVID infection in the past or who are vaccinated also are getting these infections with the omicron and there is also information from whatever the cases that have been seen so far it has been mild and the spectrum seems to be a little different in the sense that they did not record a loss of smell and loss of taste or more milder spectrum without the involvement grossly of lungs or oxygen lack or hospitalizations and certainly no deaths that’s encouraging said that though we know that the infections have not really gone on to involve very elderly immune compromised those individuals even a minor infection can lead to a major problem so giving it a blank statement that this would always remain mild we don’t know so we yet to see that’s number one to fear number two is that whenever the infections spread is because of mutations and when you have more mutations we do not know how the virus again behaves mutates and may lead to other variants so that’s another concern so therefore we have to take cautions that this infection should not spread.

Since you mentioned of this third case as well now this third case is a man who traveled to other country the second case of course is someone who’s had a travel history from South Africa I specifically talk about the doctor would the interpretation we would like to understand ma’am as Indians because there is of course a growing fear as far as this variant is concerned is it possible that it perhaps already is in India and that this mutation is not just important anymore it could have already spread?

Dr. Padma: That’s a concern that some of the biologist have raised we do have some information which has come from some biologists who say that this probably is already existent an you know all these kind of viral flu like features that are sometimes seen and in this weather and this season you have that very commonly seen that when supposing these people are tested then maybe you know this thing is there but that’s the kind of what you say is their thought on this that has come from certain biologists but as the we go by what the World Health Organization saying and what our ministry saying and so we’re going strictly by science so that part is not yet proven said that though you know that this is some amount of also trepidation that yes when you are exposed to someone who’s also traveled say in a congregation in a conference in meeting grounds the people coming from all parts and you know you do not know each and every person’s travel history in the last 15 days or a month and since the regulations and also the kind of you know what you call as limitations in our activities has sort of reason over the last couple of months so there is more travel there is more movement so it’s possible that the exposure may also have happened to another person who has had a travel history and you know that a large number of people also remained asymptomatic when they tested out some contacts which has come out in South Africa and other countries lot of contacts did not have many symptoms which is true for most of the viral infections so that may also be possibility of course there are people who also negating it saying that that’s not possible since the exposure was just couple of hours so I think it is too premature to make an assumption and be there but it really does not really lead to useful conclusions here at this point of term because as a very responsible citizens we should actually now stick to the precautions of being covid appropriate in our behavior wear the mask and get vaccinated I think these two arsenals are there with us instead of going into you neety gritty and small things about how somebody’s got infected what’s going to happen I think it’s in other hands to prevent something major happening.

As many others have also said that mask is like a vaccine in your pocket but you know speaking specifically of a vaccination what do we know about the variant and how it behaves with vaccination does it have the capability to override the immunity provided by vaccination and also I’d like to ask you this into correlation to the immunosuppressing elderly since of course as the head of the new row department of AIIMS you very closely work with that.

Dr. Padma: So the concern that cohort of group of people who are elderly and who immune compromise for whatever reason they’re on the suppressants they are on certain disorders their cancer patients or chemotherapy they’re taking steroid they have uncontrolled diabetics what have you or transplant patients whoever they are now this cohort remains out of concern because mild infections become major mild infections because severe and lead to severe consequences in this cohort so they’re always a concern now coming to vaccines I don’t think there is any kind of a doubt that vaccination will prevent us severity of an infection that stays whether it prevents being infected of course is probably not 100% certainly it may help but it is not going to 100% prevent from getting an infection like it is you know someone in one of the channels has given a very beautiful quote it is like wearing a helmet you know it wearing a helmet is not going to prevent you from all the exigencies and variations that may be happening when you’re driving but it will prevent a major head injury so the infection occurrence may happen but it’s going to really prevent the severity said that now it is those vaccines which have been developed against the spike protein and since we know that in the spike protein and omicron there are huge number of mutations therefore the manufacturers of mRNA vaccines are tweaking the vaccine so that it is now go into to anyhow but we have vaccines which are made under difference the preamble is different here so whether this is escape mechanism to these vaccines we don’t know yet said that there is also information which came from again World Health Organization which said that there is an immune escape property of omicron then maybe there are questions that the reason there’s a variant of concern therefore I would believe that getting vaccinated would be of absolute of paramount importance it is definitely going to help you in severity that’s what whether our vaccines are going to help in preventing omicron we don’t know the we still need to have that progress to understand and get that literature and information and there are people working on then the second thing is now this cohort whether it is omicron whether it is delta whether it is any infection this cohort of elderly an immune compromised are a precious cohort who definitely need more protection so they need to be definitely well guarded.

Since you speak of the elderly those who have other comorbidities let’s talk about you know the general population right now in fact not just right now from the past few months we’ve seen a huge debate around booster shots would you say that considering that we have a new variant which has so many about 50 mutations so that’s the least that we know of as of now given what’s happening in the world around us given that we are detecting cases in India as well do you think that that has expedited the need to give booster shots to a certain population at least at the earliest?

Dr. Padma: I believe this is being definitely conclusively being drawn out and I’ve also seen on the news that the ministry is also strongly contemplating that and the top sports of the science bodies are coming to conclusion very soon honoring this and there are of course parts of the world who are already going ahead and doing that yes I think a booster dose would be required for the individuals who would be act risk of developing a severe infection especially since six months hence there is some information in certain vaccine categories that the immunity wanes that again will definitely need to be proven across our part of the world we probably don’t have a huge robust data coming on that but then since this has come in we need to expedite our you know the kind of conclusive wait forward in terms of protecting these individuals so I think yes there is a role.

What about children ma’am you know ahead of the COVID task forces told us also in an interview that they are looking at providing vaccination to children also by the middle of next year but the question right now is that we have a new study which has come out South African experts medical experts have also verify that a large number of children under 5 have needed hospitalization cause of this new variant are children at a bigger risk this time should we look at vaccinating them as well at the earliest?

Dr. Padma: Yes so that is of concern it is true that the South African Medical Association has come out with this that they do have you know a rise in children under the age of five years with this variant infection although again they did not see that the infectious severity as such has been very extensive in that but certainly it’s of concern when you have a large group of very young baby is coming in with this infection it is of concern because it does not happen in at least the first wave on the second wave and certainly not in our part of the world so it is concerning and hence I think there will be a way forward even for these children but then I did hear that even the vaccinations for children are going to come on board probably even much earlier than what was earlier thought of but again as we speak since this kind of the rapidity with which information is also coming in from different parts of the world an our understanding and getting more robust evidence on which we can make decisions is also getting much higher and much more what I would say solid I think we should not have again as I said when you press the panic button there would be kneejerk reactions and that is I think that is what is being avoided by all responsible task forces and science and even the implementation agencies so I’m sure we will have a way forward very soon.

Right and the last question to you since you spoke of a way forward you said we shouldn’t press the panic button as you sign or what would be the word of advice you’d like to give people considering it’s the beginning of December and end of December is really when the peak tourist festive season also begins any word of advice you’d like to give people don’t panic but perhaps masking vaccination paramount?

Dr. Padma: You said it absolutely you hit the nail on the head so certainly non prioritized activities please don’t take up if you can avoid non prioritized activity I mean a gathering where it is purely of pleasure getaways gathering where it is not really required you can make do with a less number of people or equally you know postpone it for few months do that absolute essential travel is a must the essentiality depends upon your own survival your profession but unnecessary travel don’t do it we can definitely virtually meet and get going, and please mask up never have a mask down or unmask and go about as so the whole thing is you know don’t say all is well and go around saying that there’s no mask needed mask is absolutely essential your COVID appropriate behavior is a first arsenal get both shots of vaccines and whenever there is a booster dose which is which is you know given which is given two their cohort where it is ordained for please come forward and take it so get vaccinated get COVID appropriate behavior be responsible citizens you can do it.

December 6, 2021 0 comment

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“Already Working” on vaccine targeting Covid vaccine: Pfizer

by Medically Speaking Team November 30, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

In the event that the present inoculation is ineffective against the new strain, Pfizer has already begun developing a version of its Covid-19 vaccine that particularly targets the ‘Omicron’ variation, according to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
According to Bourla, his company began testing the current vaccine against the ‘Omicron’ form on Friday, which was initially discovered in South Africa and revived worries of a global Covid-19 outbreak.

“I don’t think the result will be the vaccines don’t protect,” Bourla said.

But the testing could show that existing shots “protect less,” which means “that we need to create a new vaccine,” Bourla said.

“Friday we made our first DNA template, which is the first possible inflection of the development process of a new vaccine,” he said.

Bourla likened the situation to the scenario earlier this year when Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech developed a vaccine in 95 days when there were concerns the previous formula would not work against Delta, though that version ultimately was not used.

The current vaccine is “very effective” against Delta, the executive said, adding that the companies expect to be able to produce four billion vaccine doses in 2022.

On Monday, the World Health Organization warned the new Covid-19 ‘Omicron’ variant poses a “very high” risk globally.

Bourla said he was also “very confident” that Pfizer’s recently unveiled antiviral pill would work as a treatment for infections caused by the mutations, including ‘Omicron’.

Among newly-infected, high risk patients treated within three days of the onset of symptoms, Pfizer’s pill has been shown to cut hospitalization or death by nearly 90 percent.

November 30, 2021 0 comment

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Omicron: Monoclonal Antibody treatment will be a game changer, experts claim

by Medically Speaking Team November 29, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

“Monoclonal antibody should be given to high-risk patients, which attacks the spike protein and arrests the virus when it does not attach to the host cells. It might be a game changer for this new mutation. Even if there is some kind of immune evading mechanism in this mutant with the previous vaccination, it still gives you some kind of protection in the body,” claimed Dr Viny Kantroo while commenting on the efficient solution for the newly discovered Omicron variant of Covid-19.

In a discussion with Medically Speaking, a panel of top health experts explained the South African variant, the possible treatments known so far and travel restrictions. The panel included: Dr Viny Kantroo, Senior Consultant, Critical care, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital; Dr Dodul Mondal, Senior Consultant, Radiation Oncologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital; Dr Praveen Gupta, Principal Director, Neurology, Fortis Hospital; Dr Vivek Nangia, HOD, Pulmonology, Max Healthcare.

Here are the excerpts from the exclusive interview:

What exactly is this new variant and what does the government mean by “horrible mutation”?

Dr Viny Kantroo: The fact that we had Covid in the backburner was something people were not trying to understand and forgot about the Covid Appropriate Behaviour because respiratory viruses mutate every year, example given influenza virus. The new Covid variant found in South Africa is said to have 30 mutations in the spike protein, which makes it more aggressive to connect to the tissues and leads to disease that are more infectious, furthermore leading to another pandemic wave.

Variant of Concern does not necessarily mean that it will lead to the 3^rd or 4^th wave in India, but since it has so many mutations, the government is fearful that it may lead to increase in the number of cases and may evade the immunity created by vaccination.

What does it mean for those who are vaccinated?

Dr Vivek Nangia: This virus has over 50 mutations out of which 30 are on the spike protein, something that is targeted by the vaccines. Right now we only know that the vaccines can protect us from catching Covid and serious illness. So we should go and take our vaccination and not take them lightly. If these mutations will result in more severe disease or not, we do not know yet, but we do know that the infectibility and transmissibility is higher. If it took about 6 weeks for the Delta variant to grow from 0% to 50% positivity rate, this virus takes just 2 weeks and hence the chances of spreading are very high. Only for the few cases detected, several others will go undetected.

What are these various variants and how is the new variant different from Delta?

Dr Praveen Gupta: Once the virus undergoes mutation, it changes the way it engages with the host. If the virus progresses in the body faster, it can cause more aggressive disease also. Which means once the virus mutates, it invades the immunity that has been acquired and that happens with influenza every year. People roam around in the country as if Covid has gone now and we are celebrating it. The variant now reaches people faster than the older ones. Which means that without Covid Appropriate Behaviour, it could start a wave and trigger it very fast. Therefore the easiest path is to go back to Covid SOP’s which will prevent the spread. Although the report from South Africa says that vaccines will be able to provide some immunity, but due to some mutations in the glycoprotein, it will be able to evade the immunity created by vaccines also to and extent. Therefore, vaccines may not be able to provide adequate protection.

Thirdly, we saw that antibodies and Pfizer vaccine was not as effective on the Delta variant as it was on the previous variants. As more and more variants come in, the impact of the current medications and the vaccines may not remain as robust as it was with the previous variants and that is the main reason to call it as the variant of concern as it has the potential to start another wave in our country and across the world also.

Dr Guleria says that we do not need booster shots, but we also know that the efficacy and antibodies wane with time. What is your view on booster shots concerning the new variants?

Dr Dodul Mondal: The age of the current pandemic is nearly 2 years now and everything is under research and we are not very sure to confidently comment on any need of doses. We have to wait till the time scientific data is available. But as of now, we know that in many vital infections, booster dose really works.

We can say that the scientific evidence is awaited but we know that the efficacy wanes and with this new mutation, there is a higher concern. What would you say about the booster doses?

Dr Viny Kantroo: There is no one to one answer to your question, but even our second dose is pending and has been given only to 30 to 35 per cent of the population. Therefore, thinking of a booster dose with the first generation vaccine is a bit premature as we are seeing the need to upgrade them to the second generation. We are seeing a lot of mutations inside the virus every 3 to 6 months and hence second generation vaccines would be a greater option than booster doses.

Isn’t second generation vaccine a much longer process? Can’t the doses that lie unused in the hospitals be utilized for giving booster to those who ask for it?

Dr Vivek Nangia: Science has showed that there are studies where the immunity, may it be through vaccines or natural, is likely to wane in a period of 6 to 8 months. Therefore, booster or a second dose of vaccine is definitely necessary. Only a small segment of the population has been vaccinated till now and 76% is still to be vaccinated. If we already start talking about the booster dose, things will become a little tricky. Considering the influenza situation, every year there is a new strain and a new vaccine based on the prevailing strain. Covid might as well require new vaccine each year, and we are not sure if the current vaccine can cover Omicron completely. These questions will be answered in due course of time.

What will be your advise to the policy makers as WHO says travel restriction is not the most stop robust reaction?

Dr Praveen Gupta: Omicron is a variant of concern at this time and when this concern will convert into a real problem, we do not know as of now. In a period of two to three weeks, we will experience a wave, and while the wave is reaching its peak, we could consider revaccination especially for people at rest. But if revaccination with the same vaccine will be of any help is still a doubt.

There are concerns at two levels as of now, individual and social and this virus varies between the two. But since this disease is a community disease, we need to find out best measures to prevent it at a community level and reiterate the Covid appropriate behaviour that is the cheapest most effective way to combat every variant. Giving some help or incentive to people practicing covid appropriate behaviour and reprimanding those who flout this behaviour and not taking vaccines is possibly a better way for us.

We have seen that people have a lackadaisical attitude due to decreasing number of cases. Is Omicron a cause of concern for people and they must follow the same protocol that they did while the second wave was at its peak?

Dr Dodul Mondal: This is the best way to prevent any illness that spreads through respiratory tract. People living in metropolitans do follow these protocols, but once you are out of the metro cities, they are completely different. I visited smaller cities recently and saw that the markets and shops are open and no one is wearing masks. People think there are no Covid cases. Hence reiteration of the SOP’s is needed by all means. I do not think policies cannot help until and unless people are concerned and educated because forcing them cannot help in the long run.

What will be your suggestion to those who are thinking of international travel?

Dr Viny Kantroo: If there are variants of concern in some parts of the world like South Africa, you should be avoiding travel in those parts and people coming in from those countries should be given rigorous scanning at the airport and should be tested for Covid-19. It is better to take preventive measures than to let this virus go on to a level where we cannot curb it.

Can this variant cause reinfection?

Dr Vivek Nangia: This virus can easily cause reinfection and that is what it is known to cause as of now. Secondly, we know that it can be diagnosed easily with the existing RTPCR kits. There are three strands to look at for every PCR kit and if two of them test positive, it can be diagnosed as Omicron. Thirdly, we know it is easily transmissible and the doubling time is pretty rapid. As far as the immune escape is concerned, we still do not know if the medication, antibody cocktail or the vaccine will be effective.

What do we know about the efficacy of Covaxin and Covishield as of now?

Dr Praveen Gupta: Our vaccine basically works on the spike glycoprotein and as we have already discussed, there are over 30 mutations on the spike glycoprotein of Omicron, which is where the question of the vaccine efficacy arises from because if the target has undergone mutation, vaccine may not work at all or as well. We have seen that a large number of vaccinated people have got infected, but thankfully the infections are mild and hospitalizations are less. Therefore we say that we may need second generation vaccine which are able to surmount the variants and are effective against them. That is where the concern lies because of a variant with high transmissibility, increased infectivity and some vaccine resistance. If it spreads, it may not be possible to check it because instead of 6 weeks, it may spread in two weeks. We have a situation similar to March and February where people were meeting and celebrating and the festivals are around the corner. The concern is there but very low.

Why is there an alarm regarding this variant in India?

Dr Dodul Mondal: Now since the international travels are open for almost every country, definitely, there is a reason to be concerned. Therefore, there has to be rigid policy to prevent infection from other countries, which we noticed in previous waves. Secondly, there is no replacement of the fact that SOP’s are the cheapest most effective way to curb any infection.

What do we know on the treatment front?

Dr Viny Kantroo: The symptoms are quite similar to the previous variant as there has been no report of any different one so far. The treatment is going to be similar because the infection was very mild previously and the hospitalizations were very low and we hope the same happens this time as well. I believe monoclonal antibody should be given to high-risk patients which attacks the spike protein and arrests the virus when it does not attach to the host cells. It might be a game changer for this new mutation. Even if there is some kind of immune evading mechanism in this mutant with the previous vaccination, it still gives you some kind of protection in the body. If people have any hesitancy regarding the second dose, they should get vaccination because it will prevent you from getting hospitalized or getting on any kind of oxygen support despite n number

November 29, 2021 0 comment

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People who may face recurrent infection may need booster dose: Dr Padma, Chief, Neurocenter, AIIMS

by Medically Speaking Team November 23, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

“I think a booster dose would be required for the people who when face a recurrent infection will go to a severe illness,” claimed Dr Padma Srivastava, Chief of Neurocenter of AIIMS, in an interview with Medically Speaking.

United States: Booster shots authorized for all adults

by Medically Speaking Team November 20, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

According to Pfizer and Moderna, the United States today extended the authorisation of Covid-19 vaccine boosters to all persons aged 18 and older, six months after the completion of their original immunisation series.

“This emergency use authorization comes at a critical time as we enter the winter months and face increasing Covid-19 case counts and hospitalizations across the country,” said Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel.

Pfizer and Moderna announced the FDA decision after at least ten states had already begun giving boosters to all adults.

The current measure clarifies who is eligible, which had previously been a confusing list, by enabling anybody 18 or older to pick either company’s booster six months after their last dosage – regardless of whose vaccination they received initially.

But there’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree to expand Pfizer and Moderna boosters to even healthy young adults. Its scientific advisers were set to debate later Friday.

If the CDC agrees, tens of millions more Americans could have three doses of protection ahead of the new year. Anyone who got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine can already get a booster.

All three COVID-19 vaccines used in the US still offer strong protection against severe illness including hospitalisation and death, but protection against infection can wane with time.

Previously, the government had cleared boosters of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine, as well as the similar Moderna vaccine, only for vulnerable groups including older Americans and people with chronic health problems.

The decision to broaden comes as the number of new COVID-19 cases has progressively increased over the previous two weeks, particularly in places where colder weather has kept people home.
As a result of these concerning patterns, several states did not wait for federal officials to take action. Utah and Massachusetts are the most recent states to announce that booster shots would be available to all adults in the coming weeks.
The Biden administration’s first intention was to provide boosts to everyone. However, a panel of FDA experts largely voted against that notion in September, citing the vaccinations’ ongoing efficacy in most age groups. Instead, they advocated for an additional Pfizer dosage just for the most vulnerable.

Since then, administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have continued making the case for using boosters more widely, noting that even milder infections in younger people can cause “long COVID” and other complications.

“I don’t know of any other vaccine where we only worry about keeping people out of the hospital,” said Fauci at a briefing Wednesday.

Last week, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech filed new data to make the case that broader boosters could help tamp down infections at a critical period.

“We have absolutely no chance in the current situation to control the pandemic without providing boosters to everyone,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told reporters during a visit to Washington last week.

The companies studied 10,000 adults of all ages and found that a booster restored protection against symptomatic infections to about 95 per cent even while the extra-contagious delta variant was surging. It’s too soon to know if that high level of protection will last longer after a third shot than after the second, something Sahin said the companies will carefully track.

Backing up that evidence, Britain released real-world data this week showing the same jump in protection once it began offering boosters to middle-aged and older adults. Israel has credited widespread boosters for helping to beat back another wave of the virus in that country.

More than 195 million Americans are fully vaccinated, defined as having received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. More than 30 million already have received a booster.

Before the expansion, people who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations were eligible for a third dose if they’re elderly or at high risk of COVID-19 because of health problems or their jobs or living conditions.

Because a single J&J shot hasn’t proven as effective as its two-dose competitors, any J&J recipient can get a booster at least two months later.

But people who don’t meet the criteria often score an extra shot because many vaccine sites don’t check qualifications.

The FDA previously ruled that people getting a booster can receive a different brand from the vaccine they received initially.

Some experts worry that all the attention to boosters may harm efforts to reach the 60 million Americans who are eligible for vaccinations but haven’t gotten the shots. There’s also growing concern that rich countries are offering widespread boosters when poor countries haven’t been able to vaccinate more than a small fraction of their populations.

“In terms of the No. 1 priority for reducing transmission in this country and throughout the world, this remains getting people their first vaccine series,” said Dr. David Dowdy of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

November 20, 2021 0 comment

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Covid Case update: India logs 8,865 new cases, lowest of 287 days

by Medically Speaking Team November 16, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

India reported 8,865 new cases on Tuesday, the lowest in 287 days, according to a report by the Health Ministry.

The country’s current active case tally, at 1,30,793, was also the lowest in 525 days, according to latest statistics from the Union health ministry. Furthermore, the active case count of 0.38 percent was the lowest since the pandemic initially hit the country in March 2020.

A decrease of 3,303 cases has been recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The ministry said the daily rise in new infections has been below 20,000 for 39 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 142 consecutive days now.

With 11,971 people getting cured in the last 24 hours, the recovery rate currently stood at 98.27 per cent — the highest since March 2020 — taking the total recoveries to 3,38,61,756.

As many as 197 people died from related ailments in the last 24 hours, taking the total fatality count to 4,63,852.

The daily positivity rate that was currently 0.80 per cent has remained below 2 per cent for the last 43 days.

So far, 62.57 crore samples have been tested against the virus, while 112.97 crore vaccines have been administered as a shield against the disease since the drive’s launch earlier this year.

November 16, 2021 0 comment

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Covid case Update: India logs 11,850 new cases

by Medically Speaking Team November 13, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

In the previous 24 hours, India reported 11,850 new Covid-19 cases, down 5.3 percent from Friday, bringing the overall caseload to 3,44,26,036.

Throughout the previous 24 hours, 555 fatalities have been registered in the country, bringing the overall number of deaths to 4,63,245.

According to the latest statistics released by the union government, Kerala has the most cases with 6,674 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 925 cases, West Bengal with 860 cases, Tamil Nadu with 812 cases, and Mizoram with 669 cases.

These five states account for 83.89 percent of all new cases, with Kerala alone accounting for 56.32 percent of all new cases.

A total of 12,403 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, which brings the total recoveries to 3,38,26,483 across the country. India’s recovery rate now stands at 98.26 per cent.

India’s active caseload stands at 1,36,308. In the last 24 hours, active cases declined by 1,108.

India has administered a total of 58,42,530 doses in the last 24 hours, which brings the total tally of doses administered to 1,11,40,48,134.

November 13, 2021 0 comment

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Covid case Update: Lowest active cases recorded in 248 days

by Medically Speaking Team November 1, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

India reported 12,514 cases in previous 24 hours. According to statistics published on Monday by the Union Health Ministry, India’s overall count of COVID-19 cases grew to 3,42,85,814, while active cases fell to 1,58,817, the lowest in 248 days.

The death toll climbed to 4,58,437 with 251 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infection has been below 20,000 for 24 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 127 consecutive days now.

The active cases comprise 0.46 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.20 per cent, the ministry said.

A decline of 455 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 106.31 crore.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,36,68,560, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.34 per cent.

As many as 8,81,379 tests were conducted on Sunday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 60,92,01,294.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.42 per cent. It has been less than two per cent for last 28 days. The weekly positivity rate was also recorded at 1.17 per cent. It has been below two per cent for the last 38 days, according to the ministry.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 106.31 crore.

November 1, 2021 0 comment

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