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corona vaccine

Covid case Update: India logs 18,166 new cases, lowest in nearly 7 months

by Medically Speaking October 10, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

According to daily data from the Union Ministry of Health, India’s daily Covid-19 cases decreased on Sunday. In just 24 hours, India reported 18,166 new cases, the lowest number in 214 days. Furthermore, since March of last year, the active case count has stayed below 1% of overall Covid-19 instances.

However, the count of daily deaths has continued to increase. In the last 24 hours, India reported 214 deaths. Overall, 4,50,589 people have died due to coronavirus infection to date in the country.

In a single day, the country recorded 23,624 recoveries and 5,672 active cases. The number of active cases in India is 2,30,971, or 0.68 percent of all cases. In addition, the number of patients who have recovered from Covid infection has increased to 3,32,71,915.

On Sunday, India’s weekly optimism rate was 1.57 percent, which is below 3 percent for the last 107 days.

COVID-19 immunisation coverage in India has now reached 94.62 crore people. The first dosage was given to 68,00,70,189 people, while the second dose was given to 26,62,20,118 people.

October 10, 2021 0 comment

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SII, Bharat Biotech get nod to export 10 lakh Covid vaccine doses under ‘Vaccine Maitri’

by Medically Speaking Team October 8, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

Official sources stated on Thursday that the government has allowed Serum Institute of India (SII) to export 10 lakh Covishield doses each to Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and that Bharat Biotech would give Iran with 10 lakh doses of Covaxin under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ programme in October.

The Pune-based pharma company SII has also been allowed to supply bulk Covishield vaccine, which is equivalent to around 3 crore doses, to AstraZeneca in the UK, they told PTI.

“While 10 lakh doses of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin would be sent to Iran, Serum Institute of India will export 10 lakh doses of Covishield each to Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ programme in October,” an official source told PTI.

“Further, Serum Institute has been given permission to supply bulk Covishield, equivalent to around 3 crore doses, to AstraZeneca this month,” the source said.

SII has enhanced the manufacturing capacity of Covishield to more than 20 crore doses per month and has informed the Centre that it will be able to supply around 22 crore doses in October.

In addition, Bharat Biotech now produces roughly 3 crore doses of Covaxin each month, with plans to increase production to 5 crores in the future months.

SII further stated in a recent statement to the Centre that by December 31, it would have completed the delivery of 66 crore doses of Covishield in response to the current directive, and that by 2021, it will have completed the supply of more than 130 crore doses.

According to the official source, Singh while seeking permission for supply of bulk Covishield vaccine to AstraZeneca in August had stated that according to the firm’s contractual obligation with AstraZeneca, it is legally bound to supply bulk/fill finish vaccine to AstraZeneca as per their demand from time to time.

“We believe in the ideology of ‘nation first’ and because of this, fulfilling the vaccine requirement of our country has been our top most priority during COVID-19 pandemic.

“We believe in the clarion call of ‘vocal for local’ given by our prime minister and we are continuously working on this to make our country Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the source quoted Singh as having communicated.

“In view of the above genuine reasons, we request for your kind consideration for approval to supply bulk concentrated solution to AstraZeneca as they urgently need this supply,” Singh is learnt to have communicated, assuring this will in no way hamper the domestic supplies of Covishield vaccine to India.

The COVID-19 vaccine Covishied has been developed by SII in collaboration with Oxford University and AstraZeneca under technology transfer.

Covaxin has been indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

October 8, 2021 0 comment

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Nationwide rollout of Zydus likely by October 15: NTAGI chief

by Medically Speaking Team October 4, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

Different batches of ZyCoV-D are undergoing a last round of quality tests at the vaccine testing facility in Himachal Pradesh, with the nationwide rollout of Zydus Cadila’s Covid vaccine, ZyCoV-D, barely 2 weeks away.

NK Arora, head of the Centre’s Covid working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Vaccination (NTAGI), told TOI that if all goes according to plan, the vaccine may be put into the immunisation programme as soon as October 15-16.

Around 1.5 lakh doses of Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D vaccine have cleared the quality test at Central Drugs Laboratory, in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, sources told CNN-News18, adding that the government is currently in negotiation with the manufacturers to bring down the commercial price of the jab.

The manufacturers have quoted a price of Rs 1,800 to 1,900 per dose, which the government feels is on the higher side for a three-dose vaccine, and wants a lower figure, the sources said.

Because ZyCov-D is the first DNA-based and needle-free vaccine, it will be more expensive than previous vaccines. The vaccination requires a specific applicator, which costs Rs 35,000, raising the price range of the vaccine dosage.
The three-dose needle-free ZyCoV-D vaccine is based on plasmid DNA technology and follows a three-dose schedule with a 28-day interval between each treatment, according to Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila.

“Since it is a three-dose vaccine, we need to ensure availability of one crore doses each month for the next three months,” Arora added.

The vaccine will be the first in India to be administered to children in the age groups of 12-18 years. According to the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, the Covid working group is in favour of starting inoculations for children and the details of comorbidities and prioritisation of beneficiaries in adolescents will be released soon, government sources had said.

October 4, 2021 0 comment

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Zydus Cadila proposes Rs 1900 for three-dose COVID vaccine; Govt negotiating to bring it down

by Medically Speaking Team October 4, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

Indian pharmaceutical Zydus Cadila has suggested pricing for its three-dose Covid-19 vaccine ZyCov-D at $1,900, reported PTI. However, according to the news agency, the central government is working with the company to lower the costs.

“Negotiations are on. The company has been asked to reconsider all the aspects regarding the cost of the vaccine,” the source was quoted as saying.

According to another source, ZyCoV-D must be more expensive than Covaxin and Covishield because, in addition to being a three-dose vaccination, it requires the use of a needle-free jet injector, which costs $30,000. That jet injector has a capacity of around 20,000 doses. So far, three rounds of talks have taken place between the Centre and the firm.

A final decision on the price of the vaccine – the only one approved for children in India – is likely to be taken this week.

The vaccine is to be given on days zero, 28 and 56. According to sources, around three rounds of meetings have taken place so far between the Centre and the company, the last one on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the ministry is also waiting for the recommendations from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) for introducing ZyCoV-D in the inoculation drive and prioritising beneficiaries focusing on those aged 12-18 years with comorbidities. The NTAGI will provide the protocol and framework for the introduction of this vaccine in the COVID-19 immunisation drive, an official source said.

As far as the price of the vaccine at which it will be procured is concerned, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, at a press conference on Thursday, said the government is in conversation with the manufacturers. “Since this is a three-dose vaccine and comes with a needleless delivery system, it would have a differential pricing than the existing vaccines which are being used in the COVID vaccination programme,” he said.

October 4, 2021 0 comment

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The BJP will honour hospital staff across the country for reaching the milestone of 100 million COVID vaccine shots

by Medically Speaking October 3, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata party will felicitate doctors, nurses and hospital staff nationwide when 100 crore Covid vaccine shots have been administered to Indians.

India has completed 90 crore inoculations of Covid19 vaccines till now. A source in the BJP told ANI, “BJP will felicitate doctors, nurses and hospital staff nationwide. BJP MP, MLA, in charge and others will go to every district and area to thank and felicitate them. It is a big achievement for India. “We have completed the number of 90 crore vaccinations so most probably by October 11 and 12 we will achieve this target. On that day we will felicitate them.”

October 3, 2021 0 comment

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In India, demand for Russia’s pricey Sputnik vaccine is dwindling

by Medically Speaking September 29, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Some private hospitals in India have cancelled orders for Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine as they struggle to sell COVID-19 shots in the face of government-supplied free doses of other vaccines.

According to some industry officials, low demand and the extremely cold storage temperatures required have caused at least three large hospitals to cancel orders for Sputnik V, which is only available on the private market in the world’s largest vaccine producer.

“With storage and everything, we have cancelled our order for 2,500 doses,” said Jitendra Oswal, a senior medical official at Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College and Hospital in the western city of Pune.

“Demand is also not great. There is a class of people, barely one percent, that wanted to go for Sputnik. For the rest, anything would do.”

From May until last week, private hospitals doled out just about six percent of all vaccines administered in India, although the government had freed them to buy up to a quarter of domestic output, health ministry data show.

India is a major production centre of Sputnik V, with planned capacity of about 850 million shots a year, and low domestic uptake could mean higher exports instead, a step backers are already pushing for.

The health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since a June launch event by Indian distributor Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd only 943,000 doses of Sputnik V have been administered by hospitals, a fraction of the national total of more than 876 million.

September 29, 2021 0 comment

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Data from the NIH’s mix-and-match Covid vaccine booster trials will be available soon, according to Fauci

by Medically Speaking September 29, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, said Tuesday that data on the safety and efficacy of combining a primary regimen of Covid vaccines from one manufacturer with boosters from another could be available within the next two weeks.

Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved Pfizer’s booster for seniors and the medically vulnerable on Friday, only those who received Pfizer’s first two doses are eligible for the third. However, the National Institutes of Health is nearing the end of trials that combined boosters and initial doses from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, according to Fauci at a White House Covid briefing.

As with all things we do, they must be submitted to the FDA for their regulatory approval,” Fauci said of the so-called mix-and-match trials. “So you don’t want to get ahead of the FDA, but at least that’s where the data are right now.”

Data on Johnson & Johnson’s mix-and-match study could be ready within a week, while Pfizer’s trial might be completed by mid-October. Moderna’s mix-and-match study data is already available, Fauci added.

Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines employ mRNA technology to combat Covid, while J&J’s uses an adenovirus to bolster the body’s immune response. The ability to mix and match vaccines and boosters could give vaccine recipients greater flexibility in picking a third shot to strengthen the waning immunity of their initial doses.

Fauci’s comments came just days after NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins said the agency was still reviewing the results of combining initial doses and boosters from separate vaccine makers. Collins added that Moderna and J&J were weeks away from the CDC and FDA evaluating their boosters.

The NIH announced the start of its mix-and-match vaccine trials on June 1, which included roughly 150 adults who were vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna or J&J. The participants were boosted with a different third dose approximately three to four months after receiving their initial vaccine regimen.

September 29, 2021 0 comment

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Covid case update: 18,870 new cases reported in 24 hrs, Active case load lowest in 194 days

by Medically Speaking Team September 29, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

According to data provided by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday, India registered 18,870 new COVID-19 cases.

Over 28,178 recoveries were also recorded in the country in the last 24 hours, taking total recoveries to 3,29,86,180 and the active caseload now stands at 2,82,520, lowest in 194 days.

The daily positive rate is now 1.25%, while the recovery rate is 97.83%. According to the data, the Nationwide Vaccination Drive has resulted in the administration of 87.66 crore vaccine doses.
A cumulative of 87,66,63,490 jabs have been given through 85,33,076 sessions.

September 29, 2021 0 comment

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COVID-19 is more susceptible to hospitalisation for adults over 40 with diabetes than children

by Medically Speaking September 26, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Adults over 40 years of age suffering from COVID-19 type 1 diabetes are seven times more likely than children with the same respiratory problem to be hospitalised, according to a study.

The study published by the Endochrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism said “People with diabetes are at greater risk of diabetes-COVID 19-related complications, particularly if over the age of 40.”

Children with COVID-19 rarely develop severe respiratory symptoms and often remain asymptomatic, the study said.

In contrast, adults experience respiratory symptoms of varying severity, with older adults and those with diabetes at higher risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome and death.

“Our study shows people over 40 with type 1 diabetes have worse outcomes from COVID-19 than children and young adults. Children and young adults experienced milder disease and a better prognosis,” said Dr Carla Demeterco-Berggren, from the University of California San Diego.

“These findings indicate the need for age-tailored treatments, immunisation and clinical management of individuals affected by type 1 diabetes and COVID-19. Public health recommendations, including wearing masks and getting vaccinated, need to be followed by all to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19,” she said.

The researchers studied data from 767 patients with COVID-19 and type 1 diabetes from 56 diabetes clinics across the US. Fifty-four percent were 18 or younger, 32 per cent were 19-40 years old and 14 per cent were over 40.

The study found patients over 40 were seven times more likely to be hospitalised with COVID-19 compared to the younger group.

No patients from the 18 and under group died, while three died from the over 40 age group and two died from the 19-40 age group.

People with diabetes and COVID-19 who were 40 and older were more likely to experience adverse outcomes such as death, diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycemia.

This group also had a significantly higher prevalence of obesity, hypertension or cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease when compared to the younger groups.

“The goal of our study is to prevent poor COVID-19 outcomes for adults with type 1 diabetes and to highlight the need to base health care decisions on data as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves,” said Demeterco-Berggren.

September 26, 2021 0 comment

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Covid case Update: India reports 26,964 new cases

by Medically Speaking Team September 22, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

India reported 26,964 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the tally in the country to 3,35,31,498. The death toll increased by 383 to reach 4,45,768.

According to the Union Health Ministry data, there are currently 3,01,989 active cases across the country, constituting 0.90 percent of the country’s total positive cases. This is the lowest since March 2020, the government said.

A total of 3,27,83,741 patients have been discharged so far, with 34,167 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours. The recovery rate stands at 97.77 percent, the highest since March 2020.

82.65 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since India’s inoculation drive began in January. On Tuesday, 75,57,529 doses were administered.

September 22, 2021 0 comment

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