Tag: COVID vaccination drive

  • ‘Quantitative restrictions’ on export of three categories of syringes to boost Covid vaccination

    By Online Desk

    With the vaccination drive against Covid in full flow, the Centre on Saturday imposed “quantitative restrictions” on the export of three categories of syringes for a period of three months. This was being done with a view to boosting the domestic availability and uptake of syringes for the nationwide exercise.

    The three categories of syringes blocked for 90 days are: 0.5ml/1ml AD (auto-disable) 0.5ml/1ml//2ml/3ml disposable, and 1ml/2ml/3ml RUP (re-use prevention). 

    “It is clarified that the ban is not on the export of any kind/type. It is only a quantitative restriction for a limited period and does not cover syringes of other denominations or types other than those mentioned,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

    Meanwhile, the country has reported 19,740 new cases in the last 24 hours.

    According to the ministry, active cases account for less than 1% of total cases, currently at 0.70%; the lowest since March 2020.

    The recovery of 23,070 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients (since the beginning of the pandemic) to 3,32,48,291.

    Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 97.98%. The recovery rate is currently at its highest peak since March 2020.

    The statement noted that 23,070 recoveries in the last 24 hours increased total recoveries to 3,32,48,291.

    The weekly Positivity Rate (1.62%) is less than 3% for the last 106 days and the daily positivity rate (1.56%) is less than 3% for the last 40 days.

    Active cases account for less than 1% of total cases, currently at 0.70%; lowest since March 2020

    India’s Active caseload stands at 2,36,643; the lowest in 206 days.

    Further, with the administration of 79,12,202vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage almost touched 94 crores as per provisional reports till 7 am on Saturday.  

    According to the official release, 1,03,74,846 and 89,95,831 Health Care Workers (HCWs) have taken the first and the second dose respectively. Similarly, 1,83,57,931 and 1,52,78,433 Frontline Workers (FLWs) have taken the first and second doses.

    More than 95.51crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through the Centre (free of cost channel) and through the direct state procurement category.

    More than 8.51Cr balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered.

  • Young IAS officer in MP whose leaked private group chats alleged corruption seeks deputation to Maharashtra

    Express News Service
    BHOPAL: A young Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer who recently travelled to some of the state’s remotest villages to dispel myths about vaccination, has now applied for inter-cadre deputation to home state Maharashtra for taking care of his ailing grandfather and widowed mother. Interestingly, while 2014 batch bureaucrat Lokesh Jangid’s application to the central government via the MP chief secretary for the three years inter-cadre deputation cites pressing family reasons as the reason, his recent posts/chats in a closed private signal app messaging group of MP cadre IAS officers points towards an entirely different possibility.

    In the posts/chats that have been leaked and gone viral on social media, the young bureaucrat narrates about his nine administrative postings in just 54 months of service in the central Indian state. The leaked posts alleging rampant corruption have created ripples in the power corridors of the state.

    Jangid, who was transferred from the post of additional collector of Barwani district to additional mission director at Rajya Shiksha Kendra in Bhopal on May 31, wrote in one of the posts in the closed private group of state’s IAS officers, “In Bihar, they don’t make anyone DM who mints money. In MP, the less said the better.”

    In another post in the same group, the young civil servant wrote, “Stability of tenure in Madhya Pradesh and the joke of an institution called Civil Service Board.’

    Jangid further wrote, “I will come out with a book post-retirement and hopefully bring the facts before everyone to see. Right now my hands are tied by the conduct rules.”

    ALSO READ | COVID-19: Vaccination drive a bumpy ride in tribal belts of India

    “Interestingly, those who mint money from all kinds of mafia get transfer from field to field. And those with impeccable integrity get thrown to Secretariat on transfer (sic).”

    Writing about his recent transfer that saw him shifted from the post of additional collector of Barwani district to additional mission director at Rajya Shiksha Kendra, Bhopal, the 2014 batch IAS officer wrote that the present Barwani district collector Shivraj Singh Verma poisoned CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s ears against him (Jangid) as he (the collector) wasn’t able to make money. 

    In the posts, the IAS officer also wrote about both the present Barwani collector and the CM hailing from the same Kirar community. The CM’s wife is the head of Kirar Mahsabha, while the Barwani collector’s wife is its secretary, Jangid wrote.

    The young bureaucrat even made a stinging criticism of senior bureaucrats, writing, “Of course who’s who in bureaucracy are mere Nero’s Guests these days.”

    The leaked message chats in the closed private message group of the state’s IAS officers also bear a post in which a senior bureaucrat who heads the state IAS Officers body advised Jangid to have some decency and delete all his posts to which the young IAS officer responds saying he won’t delete the posts and he may be removed from the group.

    He was subsequently removed from the MP IAS officers’ private messaging group by the Group Admin of the IAS Officers private group.

    However, when questioned by The New Indian Express about the entire episode on Tuesday, the young IAS officer said, “I’ve requested for inter-cadre deputation for three years to Maharashtra due to pressing family concerns.”

    When questioned about his recent transfer being behind his inter-cadre deputation request, Jangid said, “Transfers and postings are a prerogative of every government. I’ve nothing to complain about the government. My field assignments since my first posting as SDM-Vijaypur in Sheopur district have given me immense satisfaction, particularly the satisfaction of working to my best ability in tribal areas.”

    He also expressed ignorance about how his chats/posts in the closed private signal app group of MP IAS officers got leaked.

    In his nine postings after his first as SDM-Vijaypur in Sheopur district on November 1, 2016, he has been posted as SDM-Shahdol, under-secretary of the Revenue Department, CEO of the Harda Zila Panchayat, additional collector of Guna district and additional collector of Barwani district.

    Jangid was in the news last month for travelling on a motorbike from one village to another in Barwani district of West MP to dispel myths pertaining to COVID vaccination among villagers, besides learning from them of the progress of specific welfare schemes during COVID lockdown.

    Meanwhile, the Barwani district collector Shivraj Singh Verma denied allegations of corruption against him by the 2014 batch IAS officer in the leaked Signal app chat. He also denied that his wife was an office bearer of the Kirar Mahasabha.

    The opposition Congress attacked the BJP government in the matter. Claiming that Jangid was transferred from Barwani for exposing the corruption in the purchase of medical equipment during the COVID pandemic, the state Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja demanded that state’s CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other responsible ministers/bureaucrats should come clear over the young bureaucrat’s transfer and his viral social media chat.

    MP govt issues show-cause notice to Lokesh Jangid 

    The state government has in the meantime issued a show-cause notice to the young IAS officer and sought his reply within a week of receipt of the notice. 

    While confirming the issuance of the show-cause notice to the officer, MP cabinet minister Vishvas Sarang said, transfers and postings are routine administrative procedure. 

    “The same officer was transferred even during the previous Congress regime in the state, so how come the same officer has become so dear to Congress party now? No officer is bigger than system. Every officer has to abide by civil services conduct rules, which have been violated by the concerned officer. He has been issued show-cause over indiscipline,” the minister said. 

     

  • Over 17 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses administered so far: Centre

    It said 2,43,958 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group received their first dose of the vaccine on Sunday and cumulatively 20,29,395 people across 30 states and union territories.

  • US backing for vaccine patent waiver a game changer in India’s Covid fight?

    Express News Service
    NEW Delhi: A crucial decision by the US administration to support a waiver on intellectual property protection on Covid-19 vaccines could help Indian vaccine makers produce inexpensive foreign-made vaccines, but experts caution that there are still hurdles ahead.

    This initiative on such a waiver was first proposed by India and South Africa in October last year.

    US president Joe Biden on Wednesday expressed his support for the waiver – in reversal to the country’s position earlier – and his remarks were followed by a statement from his top trade negotiator, Katherine Tai, who endorsed the negotiations at the World Trade Organization.

    “This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures,” Tai said in a statement.

    The major decision by the Biden administration comes amid growing concerns that the huge Covid-19 outbreak in India could lead to outbreaks in other countries too, in times to come, even though most of them seem to be recovering from the infectious disease now.  

    ALSO READ | India’s vaccine drive loses steam, second doses delayed

    Experts in India, which has been struggling to ensure vaccine supply to a significant chunk of population due to acute supply shortage, while welcoming the move also said that this development should be seen with caution.

    “To my understanding, it is a laudable step and will help countries like India in procuring higher doses of vaccines at lower costs if the World Trade Organisation agrees to the proposal and vaccine makers transfer their formula with local companies,” said Manisha Gupta, an IPR expert.

    She however also said that a possible hurdle in the way could be ensuring the quality of products if the foreign vaccine makers share the technology.

    “Countries like India will have to ensure that only companies which are capable of maintaining quality get the license to make generic versions of the vaccines,” she added.

    Some others like IPR lawyer Deepshikha Malhotra also stressed that the advantage could ultimately depend on the agreements later between the patent holders and local license seekers once the waiver is granted by the WTO.

    Also, she said, the companies which may get the license through the international agreements may have to fulfill all the regulatory requirements, as is the case now.

    ALSO READ | Fully protected only after second dose of Covid vaccine: Experts

    Former Union health secretary Sujatha K Rao, meanwhile, welcomed the development saying that it brings hope for much-needed vaccine equity to low- and middle-income countries.

    “In days to come, it is likely to enable vaccine production at very affordable prices helping governments provide it free to all and the price will no longer be a barrier to access,” she hoped.

    A few trade experts though pointed out that most Indian vaccine companies seem to be happy to work through exclusive pacts and do not favour free technology transfers.

    Serum Institute of India, for instance, has signed pacts with AstraZeneca and Novavax while Biological E has entered into an agreement with Johnson & Johnson for its Covid-19 vaccine.

  • COVID-19 vaccination drive begins for citizens of 18-44 age group

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The COVID-19 vaccination drive for people in the age group of 18- 44 began on Saturday at select centres in a few cities, with limited access amid a huge  crisis of vaccines in the country.

    Beginning this month, those between 18 and 44 are entitled to jabs against COVID-19, in addition to the priority populations, who had become eligible for the shots from earlier. States like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have announced Phase-III of the COVID-19 inoculation drive at limited centres.

    In the national capital, vaccination for this group was carried out only at one centre and the Aam Admi Party government said that the drive will be expanded for this age group from Monday. Delhi has received 4.5 lakh vaccine doses, which is being distributed in all districts, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said. 

    From Saturday on the CoWin portal, the types of vaccines and their prices have neem displayed, for locations where vaccination has opened for the 18-44 age group. This, the government said, will help citizens make an informed choice at the time of booking appointments at private facilities.

    The Centre also underscored that it has so far provided nearly 16.37 crore vaccine doses to states free of cost, of which, the total consumption including wastages is 15,58,48,782 doses till Saturday morning.

    The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also said that more than 79 lakh doses – 79,13,518 – are still available with the states to be administered, while a little over 17 lakh doses will be dispatched in addition within the next three days.

    This stock, supplied under the Central quota, can be used only to inoculate those above 45. For the younger lot, states and private hospitals can only use vaccines procured directly by them.

  • Centre asks states to prepare field hospitals before Covid vaccination drive opens to all

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Days before the Covid-19 vaccination drive undergoes a major expansion in the country and opens for all adults, the Centre on Saturday asked states to consider setting up field hospitals with help from government research agencies or private sector facilities where the shots can be administered.

    States can take help from agencies such as the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and similar agencies in the private sector to build field hospitals, the government said. Releasing a strategy guide to take the country’s vaccination drive to a new phase, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan and R S Sharma assured the states that the CoWin platform is equipped to handle the complexities of the new phase of vaccination starting next month.

    A Covid patient being admitted at a governmenthospital in Kolkata | Bi bhas h LodhThe Centre, meanwhile, also clarified that only online registration facilities will be available for those in the 18–44-year age group. As per the new vaccination policy, this age group can take jabs at vaccination centres run by state governments or at private hospitals offering the service. 

    The states, therefore, have now been asked to register additional private Covid vaccination centres in mission mode by engaging with private hospitals, hospitals of industrial establishments, industry Associations, among others. 

    The Centre also directed states to monitor the number of hospitals that have procured vaccines and have declared stocks and prices on CoWin and schedule vaccination for the eligible population for providing adequate visibility of vaccination slots on the platform.Also, they have been asked to prioritize decisions regarding direct procurement of vaccines and train vaccination centre staff about vaccination, reporting on adverse events following immunisation and management. The authorities also said that for crowd management, law and order agencies should be roped on.

  • Maharashtra tops in COVID-19 vaccination drive, surpasses Rajasthan

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra has emerged as the leader in the COVID-19 vaccination drive as it has administered vaccine doses to 43,42,646 people, an official said on Thursday.

    The state surpassed Rajasthan in the vaccination drive on March 24, he said.

    Rajasthan now ranks second as it has vaccinated 43,27,874 people, the official said.

    “Maharashtra tops the list of states in the country in terms of the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered,” Dr Pradeep Vyas, principal secretary of Maharashtra Public Health Department, said.

    The state has also administered the second dose of vaccine to 6,72,128 people, thereby reaching the cumulative vaccination figure of 50,14,774.

    “Maharashtra is also the first stateto cross the 50- lakh doses benchmark. We will further scale up the vaccination,” he said.

    It is the only state to have covered half a crore of population in terms of vaccination, Vyas added.

    The cumulative vaccination figure for Rajasthan is 49,94,574.

    Maharashtra reported as many as 31,855 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, its highest single-day spike since the outbreak of the pandemic.

  • Election Commission starts COVID-19 vaccination drive for officers, staff

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Thursday started a COVID-19 vaccination drive for its officers and staff working at the Nirvachan Sadan here with former chief election commissioner M S Gill taking the first shot.

    Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Sushil Chandra and Rajiv Kumar will get vaccinated after all officials and staff of the commission are inoculated, an official statement said.

    Arora had recently announced that all staff on poll duty for the upcoming assembly elections have been declared as ‘frontline workers’ and will be vaccinated before assuming their election duties.

    The vaccination would encourage the poll duty officers to perform their duty without fear of COVID-19, Arora had said.

    The commission had on February 26 announced polls in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

    Under the special vaccination drive, lakhs of polling officials in the five states and the union territory will be inoculated before proceeding on election duty, the statement said.

  • Resident doctors in RML Hospital want Covishield, express ‘bit apprehension’ about Covaxin

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: While the vaccination drive started in the national captial on Saturday, doctors from central government-run hospitals continued to express their displeasure over vaccine being provided to them. While Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Medical Superintendent Rana A K Singh took the first dose Covaxin by Bharat Biotech at the facility, the Resident Doctors’ Association requested the him to provide them with the Covishield vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India.

    In the letter, the resident doctors said that they were “a bit apprehensive” about Covaxin and might not participate in the immunisation drive in large numbers. “We have come to know that the Covid-19 vaccination drive is being conducted by the hospital today. Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech is being preferred in our hospital over Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute.The residents are a bit apprehensive about the lack of complete trial in case of Covaxin and might not participate in huge numbers thus defeating the purpose of vaccination.

    We request you to vaccinate us with Covishield which has completed all stages of trial before its rollout,” the letter stated. A security guard named Ramakant was the first one to receive the shot at the hospital. This newspaper has earlier reported that the hospitals in the city which are under the Central government, have been administered with the Covaxin while those under Delhi government and private ones have received Covishield.

    A doctor from the Lady Hardinge Medical College who was assigned on vaccination duty said on the condition of anonymity that a person who was scheduled to get the vaccine on the first day backed off on hearing that Covaxin will be administered. “There are many who were eager to take it up but changed their mind last minute when they heard that it is Covaxin and not Covishield. There’s no harm in taking Covaxin, afterall it is an indigenous product but we are upset over such a decision. Our opinion should have been taken in consideration before wrolling it out,” the worker said.

    Apprehensive about CovaxinIn a letter to the medical superintendent, the resident doctors said that they were “a bit apprehensive” about Covaxin and might not participate in the immunisation drive in large numbers, thusdefeating the purpose of the exercise