News Analysis India

Tag: COVID 19 Vaccine in India

  • COVID-19 vaccination of people aged 18-44 years officially begins in Uttarakhand

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat formally launched the COVID-19 vaccination drive for people aged 18-44 years here on Monday and said Uttarakhand is the first state in the country to make the exercise free of cost.

    Launching the drive at the Radha Swami Satsang complex on the Haridwar bypass road, Rawat said the third phase of the vaccination drive has begun under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “Fifty lakh youngsters of Uttarakhand are to be inoculated against the pandemic as part of the drive.

    Uttarakhand is the first state to announce that people in the age group of 18-44 years will be administered the vaccine jabs for free.

    ALSO READ | Uttarakhand: BJP MLA’s son gets vaccine jab ahead of official schedule for his age group

    The state government will bear the cost of Rs 400 crore to be incurred in the exercise,” he said.

    The state government’s target is to take the inoculation drive to the Nyay Panchayat level, where vaccination camps should be set up, he said.

    The chief minister asked the district magistrates to make separate arrangements for elderly and differently-abled people at every vaccination booth so that they do not face any inconvenience.

    He appealed to people not to lower their guard against the disease even after receiving the vaccine shot.

    Wearing of masks, social distancing and frequent sanitisation of hands must continue, Rawat said and advised people to avoid crowded places.

  • Over 16.48 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses administered so far: Centre

    It said 2,62,932 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group received the first dose of the vaccine across 12 states and Union territories on May 6.

  • Over 21,000 tested positive for COVID after taking first dose of either Covishield or Covaxin: Centre

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: More than 21,000 people tested positive for COVID-19 after taking the first dose of either Covishield or Covaxin, while over 5,500 contracted the infection after taking the second dose, the Centre said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said 0.04 per cent of 17,37,178 individuals, who received the second dose of Covaxin, were positive for COVID-19, while 0.03 per cent of 1,57,32,754 people, who took the second dose of Covishield, contracted the infection.

    Bhargava who presented the data said vaccines reduce the risk of infection and prevent death and severe infection.

    “After vaccination if one gets infection then it is known as breakthrough infection,” he said. So far, 1.1 crore doses of Covaxin have been administered. Out of which 93 lakh received the first dose and out of that 4,208 (0.04 per cent) people got the infection which is four per 10,000 individuals.

    About 17,37,178 people received the second dose of which only 695 (0.04 per cent) tested positive for COVID-19, Bhargava said.

    How likely are you to test positive for #COVID19 after getting vaccinated? Here’s what the data released by Union Health Ministry reveals #CovidVaccine #CovishieldVaccine #Covaxin pic.twitter.com/fB8yzLvUM3

    — The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) April 21, 2021

    Of Covishield, 11.6 crore doses have been given.

    Ten crore received the first dose and 17,145 i.e.2 per 10,000 people contracted the infection.

    About 1,57,32,754 individuals took the second dose of covishield and of that 5,014 (0.03 per cent) got infected.

    Two to four per 10,000 breakthrough infections have occurred, a very small number. This was mainly healthcare workers prone to more occupational hazards, he said.

    According to the data, 5,709 people contracted the infection after the second dose of either of the two vaccines.

    “This is a very small number and not at all worrisome. Secondly, the highly transmissable second wave also contribute miniscule to the percentage so this could have been even zero per cent,” he said.

    NITI Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul noted that there is a risk even after taking vaccination so “we stress people to follow COVID appropriate behaviour even after taking the vaccination”.

    ALSO WATCH | Kerala, now a surplus medical oxygen producer

    Amid oxygen shortage in the country, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that 7,500 metric tonnes of oxygen is being produced in the country per day and 6,600 metric tonnes is being supplied to the states for medical use.

    “Presently, we have issued instructions that, leaving a few industries, the supply of industries will be restricted so that more and more oxygen can be made available for medical use.We have allocated 6600 MT out of 7500 MT to states,” he said.

  • Congress demands one nation, one price for COVID-19 vaccines

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday slammed the Centre over the differential pricing for COVID vaccines, saying it was discriminatory and will benefit only a “few big industrialists” while common people will suffer.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to alleged injustice on the part of the central government and compared the new vaccine policy to demonetisation.

    “Disaster of the country, opportunity for friends of Modi. Injustice of the central government,” he said in a tweet using the hashtag “#VaccineDiscrimination” and shared the statement of Serum Institute announcing a price of Rs 400 per vaccine dose to states and Rs 600 to private hospitals,” he said.

    “The central government’s vaccine strategy is no less than the demonetisation. The common people will stand in queues, will suffer loss of wealth, health and life and in the end only a few big industrialists will benefit,” Gandhi said in another tweet.

    Earlier in the day, Serum Institute of India announced a price of Rs 400 per dose for its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ for state governments and Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals.

    The Centre had on Monday made all adults above 18 years of age eligible for getting vaccination from May 1.

    Addressing a press conference, Congress’s senior spokesperson Ajay Maken said it is unfortunate that the Centre is getting the vaccine at Rs 150, but it is not being made available at the same price to states.

    “This is very unfortunate and we have asked for one nation, one price for vaccine. There should be same price for vaccines to central and state governments,” he said noting that state governments would be put under huge financial burden due to this differential pricing.

    “This is something that is going to put our youth and poor in a disadvantageous position. This is discriminatory. The Centre should ensure that vaccine manufacturers are adequately compensated,” Maken said.

    He feared there would be chaos in the country from May 1, in the wake of non planning on the part of the Centre for providing vaccines to the youth and poor.

    Citing examples, he said if Rajasthan has to vaccinate half its population of 4 crore people, it will have to shell out Rs 3,200 crore.

    “How will states bring the finances,” he asked. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the government saying the Centre getting the vaccine at Rs 150 per dose and states at Rs 400 is no cooperative federalism.

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    He demanded the Centre and state governments pay the same price for the COVID-19 vaccine.

    He said overcharging state governments for the anti-coronavirus shots will bleed dry their already stressed finances.

    “We demand one nation, one price for Centre and state governments,” he said.

    Another Congress leader P Chidambaram said that as anticipated, the price of Covishield vaccine has been fixed at Rs 400 for government hospitals and Rs 600 for private hospitals.

    “Who will pay the Rs 400 for one dose in government hospitals? The state government or the beneficiary? “How many persons between 18 and 44 years can afford to pay Rs 400 per dose? Will the beneficiary be burdened with the cost,” he asked.

    Chidambaram also asked how many states would be willing to pay the price of the vaccine and subsidise the people.

  • India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage near 8-crore mark

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country reached, 7,91,05,163, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.

    These include 90,09,353 Health Care Workers (HCW) who were administered their first dose of the vaccine, 53,43,493 HCWs who were administered their second dose, 97,37,850 Front Line Workers (FLW) who were administered the first dose, and 41,33,961 FLWs who were administered the second dose, along with 4,99,31,635 (first dose) and 9,48,871 (second dose) beneficiaries aged more than 45 years.

    “In a significant development in the fight against COVID-19, the cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 7.9 crore mark today,” the Ministry said.

    The Ministry said that eight States account for 60 per cent of the cumulative vaccine doses given so far. Maharashtra alone accounts for 9.72 per cent of the total doses given in the country.

    Maharashtra has also distributed 65,59,094 first doses and 7,95,150 second doses of vaccine.

    “A total of 1,03,558 new daily COVID cases were registered in the last 24 hours. 81.90 per cent of these new cases are from eight states- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab,” the Ministry said.

    Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 57,074, followed by Chhattisgarh with 5,250 cases and Karnataka with 4,553 new cases.

    Meanwhile, India’s total active caseload has reached 7,41,830.

    “It now comprises 5.89 per cent of the country’s total positive cases. A net incline of 50,233 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours,” it added.

    Five states, namely Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 75.88 per cent of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra alone accounts for nearly 58.23 per cent of the total active caseload of the country.

    The Ministry said that India’s cumulative recoveries are currently at 1,16,82,136, with 52,847 new recoveries registered in the last 24 hours and the national recovery rate is 92.8 per cent.

    478 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Eight States account for 84.52% of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (222). Punjab follows with 51 daily deaths.

  • Covid vaccine will be free for 3 crore healthcare, frontline workers: PM

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured Chief Ministers that the Centre will fully bear the expenses of vaccination against Covid-19 for nearly 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase as the government inked the first purchase agreement with the Serum Institute of India.

    The confirmation by the PM ahead of the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out, planned for Saturday, came on the day the Centre signed a deal with Pune-based SII, which is manufacturing Covid-19 vaccine by Oxford University-AstraZeneca in India, to supply it nearly 11 million doses, costing Rs 200 each, in the first go.

    The Centre also signed a purchase agreement with Bharat Biotech for about 4 million doses. The cost of each dose of the vaccine, said sources, is nearly Rs 300. 

    SII’s Covishield along with Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin have been granted restricted emergency use permission under the accelerated approval process of the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization. 

    The first phase of vaccination will target those above 50 and younger people with serious comorbidities, after the most prioritized group consisting of healthcare and frontline workers is inoculated with two doses each.

    In the meeting with CMs, PM also said that politicians should not jump the queue, insisting that people’s representatives such as MPs and MLAs should not get the vaccine in the first phase and asked states to ensure that no rumours are spread against vaccination as the massive drive kicks off.

    “Health workers – government as well as private – will be vaccinated first of all. Sanitation workers, other frontline workers, defence forces, police and other paramilitary forces will also be vaccinated in the first phase,”

    Vaccine rollout will begin from January 16 with the help of 61,000 programme managers, 2 lakh vaccinators and 3.7 lakh other vaccination team members, CMs were informed and were also apprised that the priority of vaccination has been decided as per the advice of the experts and scientific community after consultation with the states.

    The PM also underlined that the vaccination drive in India is also significant since several other countries are going to follow the country.

    The vaccination for Covid-19 has been going on in about 50 countries since past 3-4 weeks, and till now, only about 2.5 crore people have received the vaccination, he said, highlighting that India, on the other hand, has set an ambitious target of vaccinating nearly 30 crore people in the next few months.

    Modi further said that proper mechanisms have been put in place in case a person feels discomfort due to the vaccine, adding that such a mechanism is already in place for a universal immunization programme, and it has been further strengthened for this vaccination drive.

  • India reports 16,504 new COVID-19 cases; less than 20,000 for third consecutive day

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Daily new COVID-19 cases in the country remained below 20,000 for the third consecutive day taking the virus caseload to 1,03,40,469, while the recoveries surged to 99.46 lakh, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

    A total of 16,504 tested positive for coronavirus infection in a day.

    The death toll increased to 1,49,649 with 214 new fatalities, the data updated at 8.00 am showed. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 99,46,867 pushing the national recovery rate to 96.19 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent.

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    The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh for the 14th consecutive day.

    There are 2,43,953 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprise 2.36 per cent of the total caseload,the data stated.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

    It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    According to the ICMR, 17,56,35,761 samples have been tested up to January 3 with 7,35,978 samples being tested on Sunday.

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