Covid-19 vaccine tracker: EU seals new deal, no Oxford vaccine side effects reported in India

The European Commission has sealed a deal with Johnson & Johnson for the supply of its potential Covid-19 vaccine for up to 400 million people.

Amid the ongoing rage of Covid-19 pandemic, all eyes are on the roll-out of an effective vaccine. Vaccine producers are carrying out clinical trials as countries are sealing new deals. Apart from the safety concerns of the vaccines under trial, the flurry of deals has become a new worry as richer nations are at an advantage to pre-book vaccines, which may lead to unavailability for other countries.

Small bottles labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe are seen in this illustration taken taken April 10, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo (REUTERS)

Here are the latest Covid-19 vaccine updates:

Hong Kong to start trial of nasal spray

Hong Kong will start trials for an experimental vaccine which will be administered through nasal spray. This vaccine will be a dual vaccine — to be used for both influenza and Covid-19.

Research on the experimental spray received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations in Norway and Hong Kong’s government, and will join dozens of clinical trials around the world aimed at identifying safe and effective vaccines to prevent Covid-19, Bloomberg reported.

University of Hong Kong’s department of microbiology. The candidate vaccine is similar to a nasal spray flu immunization already on the market that’s designed to start working where respiratory viruses typically enter the body: the nose.

The European Commission has sealed a deal with Johnson & Johnson for the supply of its potential Covid-19 vaccine for up to 400 million people. This is the third advance purchase contract signed by the EU. The other two were with Astrazeneca and Sanofi.

Oxford vaccine safe in India so far

About 53 persons participating in the Covid-19 vaccine trials at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) have not reported any major side effects seven days after being vaccinated.

China joins COVAX

China has formally joined COVAX, an initiative by the World Health Organisation — which will ensure equitable distribution of vaccines in the world. The United States and Russia have not yet joined this global vaccine pool.

Moderna not to enforce patent rights

Vaccine producer Moderna has said that it won’t enforce patents against other vaccine makers during the pandemic. “Moderna recognises that intellectual property rights play an important role in encouraging investment in research… Beyond Moderna’s vaccine, there are other Covid-19 vaccines in development that may use Moderna-patented technologies. We feel a special obligation under the current circumstances to use our resources to bring this pandemic to an end as quickly as possible,” the company said in the statement.

“Accordingly, while the pandemic continues, Moderna will not enforce our Covid-19 related patents gainst those making vaccines intended to combat the pandemic. Further, to eliminate any perceived intellectual property barriers to vaccine development during the pandemic period, upon request, we are also willing to license our intellectual property for Covid-19 vaccines to others for the post pandemic period,” the statement read.