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Covid-19 this week: Covaxin's efficacy, Moderna in India to 120 mn vaccine doses
The government has also abstained from suggesting that India has turned a corner in its fight against viral contagion and said that the second wave is not yet over.
From promising 120 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for July, to witnessing the clearance of the fourth jab against coronavirus, India saw progress in its fight against the deadly infectious disease this week. However, the country also crossed a grim milestone as the death toll from Covid-19 in India surpassed the 400,000 mark on Sunday. Reports, however, have indicated that the death toll from the country's second wave appears to be significantly higher than the official figures recorded. The government has also abstained from suggesting that India has turned a corner in its fight against viral contagion and said that the second wave is not yet over.
Don't lower guard: Health ministry
Health ministry officials have spotlighted the need to vaccinate against Covid-19 and following the safety protocols like wearing the mask and maintaining social distance, suggesting that lowering of guard could spell trouble. "The second wave of Covid-19 is not over yet," joint secretary of health ministry Lav Agarwal said.
Covaxin demonstrates 93.4% efficacy
Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has demonstrated 77.8% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 and 93.4% against severe disease, a final analysis of the efficacy of the vaccine from phase 3 clinical trials published in a pre-print study revealed.
Centre rushes teams to 6 states
After identifying the top hotspots of Covid-19 in the country, the Centre on Friday sent multi-disciplinary teams to Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Manipur in view of a high number of Covid-19 cases being reported daily by these states.
Relief for pregnant women
Not only is the Covid-19 vaccine safe for pregnant women, but they also protect their unborn children from the disease, the Union health ministry said on Friday. "Women who are pregnant can now take the coronavirus vaccine, the health ministry said expanding the eligibility criteria.
India asks EU members to accept Covishield, Covaxin
India on Wednesday asked the European Union (EU) member states to accept Covid-19 vaccines authorised by the World Health Organization or national authorities, such as Covishield and Covaxin, for Indian nationals travelling to Europe. Non-acceptance, India said, will be followed with a policy of reciprocity and exempt EU nationals possessing the “green pass” from mandatory quarantine only if the bloc does this, officials said.
44.9 lakh Covid-19 vaccines in the next 3 days: Govt
A total of 44.9 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses will be shared with states and the Union territories over the weekend, health ministry officials said on Friday.
SC on ex-gratia for Covid-19 families
The government will have to frame uniform guidelines on ex-gratia payments to the kin of those who succumbed to Covid-19 within six weeks, Supreme Court directed on Wednesday. The court noted that Prime Minister-headed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) “failed to perform its statutory duty” by not envisaging a compensation scheme.
Count deaths within 2-3 months of testing positive as Covid-19 deaths: SC
In a significant judgment on Covid-19, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said people who died within two to three months after testing Covid-19 positive should be counted among the deaths caused by the viral infection. The court directed the central government to incorporate this benchmark in its official guidelines for recording coronavirus fatalities.
PM Modi lauds contribution of doctors
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the contribution of doctors in saving lives from coronavirus disease and said his government has given maximum thrust on augmenting the healthcare infrastructure in the country.
In his address at an Indian Medical Association event on National Doctor's Day, PM Modi said India saved lives of lakhs of its people and has fared better than more developed and prosperous countries in terms of the Covid infection and mortality per lakh population. A big credit for that goes to doctors, healthcare and frontline workers, he said.
Moderna’s Covid vaccine approved for use in India
India on Tuesday approved the import of US pharmaceutical major Moderna’s mRNA technology-based Covid-19 vaccine, paving the way for the entry of the first international jab in the country.
States will get 120mn vaccine doses for July
The Centre will distribute 120 million doses of coronavirus vaccines – 100 million shots of Covishield and 20 million of Covaxin – to all states and Union territories for July, according to advance information shared with them.
