Tag:

covishield

WHO chief scientist says 15 EU countries recognize Covishield vaccine

by Medically Speaking Team July 9, 2021

World Health Organization (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Friday said 15 countries in the European Union (EU) now recognize Covishield vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University for travellers.

In a tweet, Swaminathan said, “15 countries in EU now recognize COVISHIELD for travelers.”

On Friday, Charge d’affaires of Belgium Embassy Arnaud Lion said that recognition of Covishield by his country will have a positive impact for everyone getting the vaccine shot in India and abroad.

“On July 7, the inter-ministerial conference in Belgium decided to recognize the Covishield vaccination, which will have a positive impact I hope for everyone in India abd outside India being vaccinated with Covishield,” Lion told ANI.

July 9, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

Nine countries in Europe accepting Covishield for travel, says report

by Medically Speaking Team July 1, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

Nine European nations – Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Estonia and Switzerland – have cleared Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, sources said today, amid a row over vaccines accepted for a “green pass” allowing free travel in the region.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), the EU’s top medical body, has approved only four vaccines so far – Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty, US pharma giant Moderna’s Covid vaccine, the AstraZeneca shot manufactured and sold in Europe as Vaxzervria, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen. Only those who have been given these shots are granted vaccination passports and allowed to travel hassle-free amid the pandemic.

July 1, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

Accept Covishield, Covaxin Or Face Mandatory Quarantine, India Tells EU

by Medically Speaking Team June 30, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

In a major turn of events, Indian foreign ministry sources have said that India will not recognize EU’s digital covid certificate until the EU includes Indian vaccines Covishield and Covaxin in the certificate.

This comes a day ahead of the European Union (EU) Digital Covid Certificate framework, to facilitate free movement during the covid pandemic, coming into effect.

Under the new “Green Pass” scheme, people vaccinated with Covishield are unlikely to be allowed to travel to the member states of European Union.

The EU countries accept only the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, which are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Janssen. But Covishield, which is the Indian version of AstraZeneca, is yet to get their clearance.

Asked about the discrepancy by news agency ANI, Ugo Astuto, the European Union ambassador to India, said, Every approval process of vaccine must be conducted on its own merit”.

June 30, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

“Hope To Resolve Soon”: Adar Poonawalla On Covishield, EU Travel Issues

by Medically Speaking Team June 28, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

Amid reports that Indians who are vaccinated with the Covishield may not be eligible for the European Union’s ‘Green Pass’, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla on Monday (June 28) tweeted that he is aware of the matter and asserted that he will take this matter at the highest levels and resolve this soon.

“I realise that a lot of Indians who have taken COVISHIELD are facing issues with travel to the E.U., I assure everyone, I have taken this up at the highest levels and hope to resolve this matter soon, both with regulators and at a diplomatic level with countries,” tweeted the SII boss.

According to report, Covishield, the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, is yet to get recognition from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), an agency of the European Union responsible for the evaluation and supervision of medicinal products.

The report added that the digital ‘vaccine passport’, however, recognizes the Vaxzevria version of the AstraZeneca vaccine that is produced in the UK and Europe because it is approved by the EMA but India-made Covishield is yet to get recognized by the EMA.

Notably, the EMA has approved only four Covid-19 vaccines so far: Comirnaty (BioNTech-Pfizer), Moderna, Vaxzevria (Oxford-AstraZeneca) and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).

June 28, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

One dose of Covishield 61% effective against Delta variant, says Vaccine panel chief

by Medically Speaking Team June 17, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

Covid Working Group chief Dr NK Arora has said that according to research in India, a single shot had up to 61 per cent effectiveness against the Delta strain, while 2 doses provide 65% protection.

Arora said the study was conducted “in the middle” of the second wave of the pandemic, which was majorly caused due to the B.1.617, or Delta variant, first detected in India.

Besides the vaccine efficacy quoted by Arora, the study also showed that one dose of the Covishield shot reduced the risk of hospitalization by 70% and two doses by 77%.

June 17, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

Govt caps price of Covid vaccines for pvt hospitals

by Medically Speaking Team June 8, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

Government of India has capped the charges for administration of Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V vaccines on Tuesday. The decision came up with an objective to stop private hospitals form overcharging patients in the name of vaccination.

The prices are as follows:

Covishield – Rs. 780
Covaxin – Rs. 1410
Sputnik V – Rs. 1145

In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday announced a centralised Covid-19 vaccine policy. He also announced that from June 21, all citizens above the age of 18 years will get free vaccines, and asserted that vaccine supply would be increased significantly in the country in the coming days. “Work on producing an intranasal vaccine for Covid is also happening,” he said.

“The government has placed an order to purchase 25 crores doses of Covishield and 19 crore doses of Covaxin. It has also placed an order to purchase 30 crore doses of Biological E’s vaccine, which will be available by September,” Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog said.

June 8, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

No change in schedule of Covishield doses, same goes for Covaxin: Health Ministry

by Medically Speaking Team June 1, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

The Union Health Ministry today once again reiterated that there is absolutely no change in the schedule of Covishield doses and it will be two doses only. After the first Covishield dose is administered, the second dose will be given after the gap of12 weeks. Also, the schedule applicable for another covid-19 vaccine which is the Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech will remain the same which is a 4-6 weeks gap between the first and the second dose said Dr. VK Paul, of NITI Aayog during a media briefing.

The Union Health Ministry also said that mixing of vaccine is not the protocol yet, same vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin) to be administered for both doses. and it will stick to the SOP. “There’s international research underway on the mixing of vaccines as the possibility of a positive effect is also plausible but a harmful reaction cannot be ruled out either. It is an unresolved scientific question, science will settle it,” according to the Union Health Ministry.

Earlier, based on the available real-life evidences, particularly from UK, the COVID-19 Working Group agreed for increasing the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of COVISHIELD vaccine. No change in interval of COVAXIN vaccine doses was recommended.

The recommendation of the COVID Working Group was accepted by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC), headed by Dr V K Paul, Member (Health) Niti Aayog in its meeting on 12th May 2021.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also accepted this recommendation of the COVID Working Group for extension of the gap between the first and second doses of COVISHIELD vaccine to 12 -16 weeks.

June 1, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

Man files complaint against Adar Poonawalla and ICMR, says no antibodies formed after jab

by Medically Speaking Team June 1, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

A man from Lucknow has filed a police complaint against Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla, ICMR director-general Dr Balram Bhargava and others on Tuesday alleging that no antibodies against COVID-19 were developed in his body despite being inoculated with a single dose of Covishield.

Pratap Chandra, who is a resident of city’s Ruchi Khand area, also named Union Health Ministry’s Joint Secretary Luv Aggarwal, National Health Mission Director Aparna Upadhyay and others in his complaint to the Ashiyana police station officer in charge.

Chandra, who took the first shot of Covishield on April 8, alleged that he did not develop antibodies and even his platelets count dropped.

“I took the first dose of Covishield on April 8. As per the recent government guidelines, we need to wait for a minimum of 12 weeks to take the second dose. Out of curiosity, I wanted to know whether I developed antibodies in my body or not. I got myself tested at a nearby government-approved lab on May 25 and found out that I did not develop antibodies,” he stated in the complaint.

“The test result revealed that I did not develop any antibodies against Covid-19, instead, my platelets were reduced to 1.5 lakh from 3 lakh. This is not only disappointing but hazardous for my life,” he said.

The police have registered the complaint but did not file the FIR so far. The police said, considering the sensitivity of the matter, they have informed the top officials before taking any further action.

Chandra also threatened to go to court if an FIR is not filed in the matter.

“If FIR is not filed, then I will move to the Court. I have also mentioned in this complaint all those government institutions, whose authorised this vaccine for vaccination. This matter is being considered by the higher authorities, after which further action can be taken,” he told ANI.

June 1, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

ICMR to examine effectiveness of AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin

by Medically Speaking Team May 26, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

In the first of its kind study since the launch of the AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin in the country, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will conduct a survey from next week to examine the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing the progression of COVID into a severe form.

Around 4,000 people above the age of 45 years who have taken either one or both doses of any of these two vaccines will be reviewed, according to Dr Tarun Bhatnagar, senior scientist at ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) in Chennai.

“As a part of the study we will take people who are COVID-19 positive and hospitalised and compare their vaccination status with those who have tested COVID negative,” Bhatnagar told PTI.

“The aim is to assess how effective vaccination is in preventing the progression of the disease into a severe form,” he said.

Noting that this is the first of its kind study since the launch of these vaccines in the country and used in India’s inoculation drive, Bhatnagar said the survey is expected to be undertaken from next week.

The study will also compare the effects of one dose of Covishield and Covaxin against two doses, he added.

The cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country have crossed 20 crores so far.

The central government has been urging people to get vaccinated, maintaining that the vaccine will not protect one from contracting the coronavirus infection but will prevent its progression to a severe form and thereby reduce mortality.

The government has also been stressing the need to wear a mask and adherence to other COVID protocols.

As of date, India is using three vaccines against COVID-19 in its immunization drive. These include Covishield manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute and Covaxin of Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad.

The Russian Sputnik V is the third vaccine to get approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for Emergency Use Authorisation and has been used in a few private hospitals so far

May 26, 2021 0 comment

Uncategorized

Centre writes to states on Covid vaccine allocation

by Medically Speaking Team May 19, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

The Centre released a statement on Wednesday saying, “Union Health Ministry has again written to the States and UTs on allocation of Covid vaccine doses (for both Covishield and Covaxin) during May 2021 and during first fortnight of June 2021 from the Govt of India channel (which is available free of cost), and availability of Vaccine doses (for both Covishield and Covaxin) that can be procured directly by States and Private Hospitals during months of May and June 2021. This advance visibility will enable better and more effective planning by the States.”

According to the Government, a total of 5.86 crore doses will be provided free of cost by the Government of India to States from May 1, 2021 to June 15, 2021 under the ‘Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National Covid- Vaccination Strategy’ which came into effect at the beginning of the month. In addition, based on the information received from vaccine manufacturers, a total of 4.87 crore doses will be available till the end of June 2021 for direct procurement by States/UTs under the policy.

Notably, the Centre’s liberalised policy on COVID-19 vaccine doses states that every month 50% of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses would be provided by GOI for States free of cost while the remaining 50% of the CDL cleared vaccine doses would be available for direct procurement by the States and Private Hospitals.

“In addition, as per information received from vaccine manufacturers, a total of 4, 87,55,000 doses will also be available till end of June 2021 for direct procurement by States/UTs”, Centre added.

To ensure the efficient and judicious utilization of available doses over the course of the next month, the Centre has issued certain guidelines of advice for the states and UTs. These are as follows-

To prepare a district-wise, COVID Vaccination Centre (CVC)-wise plan for the administration of COVID-19 vaccine.
To use multiple media platforms for dissemination of such a plan to enhance awareness among the masses.
Both the States Govts & Private CVCs to publish their vaccination calendar on CoWIN digital platform in advance.
States & Private CVCs to desist from publishing single day vaccination calendars.
To ensure that there is no overcrowding at the CVCs.
To ensure that the process of booking appointments on CoWIN is hassle-free.

May 19, 2021 0 comment

Newer Posts

Older Posts