News Analysis India

Tag: Covid vaccination

  • COVID vaccination: Centre says 122 crore doses needed to inoculate 59 crore people in 18-45 age group

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that a total of 122 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine would be required to vaccinate a population of 59 crores in the age group of 18 to 45 years.

    In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Centre said vaccination is the topmost priority of the government and all efforts are being made to achieve an objective of 100 percent vaccination in the shortest time possible keeping the available resources in mind and availability of vaccine doses into consideration.

    “It is submitted that considering the limited availability of two vaccines which are presently available in India namely Covaxin and Covisheild, it became incumbent upon the government to prioritise vaccination in the most scientific manner.”

    ALSO READ | Phase-3 vaccination: Over 86,000 received first dose on May 1

    “It is submitted that while prioritising vaccination the first priority was towards health workers. It is submitted that projected mid-year population for 2021 for the age group of 18 to 45 years is about 59 crore. To vaccinate this target, a total of 122 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine would be required (which factors in some vaccine wastage which is inevitable),” the Centre said.

    Stating that the central government has already taken proactive steps for procurement of other vaccines apart from Covishield and Covaxin, the Centre told the apex court that it has fast-tracked the emergency approvals for foreign-produced COVID-19 Vaccines that have been granted approval in other countries.

    The government told the court that it has already granted a license to Sputnik V vaccine for restricted use in an emergency situation (emergency use authorization granted by European Union Agency) based on data from studies/clinical trials in Russia and other countries coupled with data from Phase II/III trials conducted in India by Dr.Reddy’s Laboratories.

    “It is submitted that as per estimates the availability of locally manufactured Sputnik V vaccine will start from July onwards.

    It is expected that locally manufactured Sputnik V vaccine will be available to the extent of 8 million and 16 million doses (for 4 million and 8 million individuals) for the months of July and August 2021 respectively.

    “It is further submitted that the Union of India has been in constant touch with Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J since mid- 2020 with the objective of encouraging these companies to develop/ supply/manufacture their respective vaccine through their local partners in India,” the Centre said.

    The top court on April 22 took note of the pandemic situation due to a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases and said it expected the Centre to come out with a “national plan” to deal with the distribution of essential services and supplies, including oxygen and drugs.

  • Centre clueless on rollout as major vaccination drive set to kick off

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: On the eve of a major Covid vaccination expansion launch in India, the Union Health Ministry appeared clueless on the initiative and said that the vaccines for the 18-44 age group may be available in states that have coordinated with vaccine manufacturers.

    It however evaded questions on vaccine stock availability for the month of May in India.

    “States are coordinating with the vaccine manufacturers. We feel that the vaccination policy will start from tomorrow as designed and will stabilise slowly,” said Luv Agarwal, joint secretary of Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a briefing on Covid status in India on Wednesday.

    He added that the Centre will continue to cover the vaccination cost of the 45+ age group while trying to boost the production of Covid vaccine doses and also said that coordination is underway with state governments and manufacturers.

    The statement by the Centre comes as several states including Delhi, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, Bihar, Assam Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have expressed doubts that inoculation drive can open for 18 plus groups from Saturday.

    While the state governments continue to struggle for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, apart from Apollo hospitals, two other major chains of Corporate hospitals have procured the supplies for Saturday’s rollout.

    Max healthcare is set to make Covishield available at about Rs 800 per dose, which includes Rs 600 charged by the manufacturer and Rs 200 overhead costs. At Fortis hospitals, on the other hand, Covaxin will be available at Rs 1250 per dose which includes Rs 50 administrative charges and Rs 1200 per shot cost to the private hospitals.

    Owing to the massive vaccine shortage, many of these states have even expressed an inability, at least for a large number of vaccination centres, to continue vaccination for the priority group, those above 45 years, who have been eligible for the jabs from before.

    ALSO READ | With stocks running low, Tamil Nadu may not begin COVID vaccinations for 18-plus on May 1

    Serum Institute of India is currently producing 7 crore doses of Covishield every month while the manufacturing capacity of Bharat Biotech, the maker of Covaxin, is much lesser at about 1 crore doses. In India, an additional 58-59 crore people will now be eligible for vaccination from Saturday while a small percentage of 45 plus population — amounting to about 34 crore — has been covered so far. 

    Also, as the majority of vaccine doses, however, have been pre-booked by the Centre for May, very little stock might be available under the state and private hospital quota.

    The first batch of Sputnik V vaccine, developed by a health research agency in Russia and now approved in India, is set to arrive in India on Saturday but there is no clarity so far on its availability in states and private hospitals and the quantum of its stock.  

    Meanwhile, K Hariprasad, president of the hospitals division at Apollo group told this newspaper that the group has procured some stock of both Covaxin and Covishield, sufficient to last about a week at 400-500 shots per day, for 7 sites in India, but said it is waiting for CoWin portal to open for private hospitals.

    “Since the vaccination is opening tomorrow, we are expecting by late evening today when we can enter our details in the portal and 18 plus people can start booking their appointment,” he said.

    The group is planning to make the vaccine available at 7 sites which include Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Cochin, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

  • Covid vaccination for 18 plus: Short on supply, no shots on Saturday, say southern states

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: The next phase of vaccinating all adults over 18 years as part of the country’s fight against coronavirus may not kick off in southern states on Saturday as planned for want of supply of doses, three months after the national launch of the immunisation programme.

    Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Puducherry said they did not have adequate stocks of vaccines to meet the expected rush of immunity seekers, even as the country’s Covid graph, including in southern states, has been mercilessly on the upward trend.

    Due to the uncertainty over the supply of Covid-19 vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday deferered its rollout of the massive vaccination drive for the 18-44 years age group on May 1 as originally planned.

    Explaining the predicament, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan said, “instead of waiting till tomorrow (and disappoint people), I wish to clarify (now) that we are unsure when and how much out of 1.5 crore doses of vaccine sought by Tamil Nadu, will arrive.”

    Asked if the vaccination will not happen tomorrow, the secretary shot back, “we don’t know if we will get (vaccines) tomorrow and how much.”

    The state government has not yet received a reply from the Centre on the demand for vaccines.

    Assuming the Central government would give its nod, the quantum that would be sanctioned to Tamil Nadu is yet to be known, he told reporters here.

    Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state can’t decide anything on its own when there is a shortage.

    “It has become difficult to decide on vaccination,” he said, apparently hinting the inoculation drive may not take off on Saturday.

    The Kerala government had on Wednesday decided to procure one crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines, including 70 lakh Covishield jabs, for the third phase of vaccination slated on Saturday.

    Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said the inoculation drive for people in the 18 years plus group will be delayed as the vaccine has not been supplied yet.

    “Our Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar has said clearly that the vaccine has not been supplied yet. We will vaccinate people once it arrives,” he told reporters.

    He dismissed charges that it was a failure on the part of the government for not getting the vaccine beforehand.

    Earlier, Sudhakar said the vaccination drive on Saturday will not start as planned.

    “It is not possible for us to start vaccinating people from 18 years to 45 years from tomorrow. Please don’t take it otherwise. The moment we get official information, we will let you know,” Sudhakar told reporters.

    “We have made orders to Serum Institute in Pune for over one crore doses but the official news is that they are still not prepared to give it to us from tomorrow as scheduled,” the Minister added.

    He asked people who have enrolled themselves on the Cowin portal for inoculation to refrain from going to vaccination centres on May 1, adding the government will later intimate them upon confirmation of arrival of doses.

    Andhra Pradesh too expressed its inability to implement the third phase of inoculation due to shortage of vaccine doses.

    Anil Kumar Singhal, principal secretary (medical and health), said the mass vaccination programme will not begin in the state due to the said issue.

    The state needs four crore vaccines to vaccinate two crore people (two doses) in the 18-44 years age group.

    The Telangana government had said on Thursday that it may not be able to start the vaccination drive from Saturday as it is hit by shortage of vaccines.

    A senior official of Telangana health department said though the state government is in touch with the vaccine manufacturers, there is no certainty on when the stocks would be available for the mass vaccination.

    “There are no possibilities (of vaccination). We are in touch with manufacturers also,” Telangana Public Health Director G Srinivasa Rao had told PTI.

    “We are in search of the vaccine. We require around four crore doses,” he said.

    He said the vaccine manufacturers also could not assure the state government as to when they will be able to supply stocks.

    In the union territory Puducherry, the plan to vaccinate those in the said age group, scheduled for May 1, has been shelved for now for want of vaccines.

    A spokesman of the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services here told PTI that the consignment of vaccines needed for the programme has not arrived and hence the programme is delayed.

  • COVID-19 vaccine drive may leave blood banks dry

    By Express News Service
    India’s blood banks could face a crisis, with lakhs of people set to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from May 1. This is because the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) has said blood banks shouldn’t receive from people within 28 days of them taking either dose of the vaccine. Most blood donors are in the 18-44 age group, which will be eligible to get vaccinated from May.

    To avoid being caught off guard, doctors are urging the public to donate blood before receiving the vaccine.

    The minimum interval between the two doses is four weeks, which means, if you want to receive the second dose at the earliest, you can’t donate blood for 56 days, explained Project Director of Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) Deepak Jacob.

    The Tamil Nadu State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) recently urged blood banks to encourage people to donate blood at the earliest, as “not being able to donate blood for the next two months, when everyone is getting vaccinated, will result in a shortage of blood”.

     A doctor in Sivaganga warned that if enough people don’t donate blood before getting vaccinated, the maternal mortality rate could rise. “But motivating people to donate first, without discouraging them from taking the vaccine, is a tightrope walk,” another doctor added. In Chennai, a senior doctor opined that the NBTC could reduce the deferral period to prevent a shortage of blood. 

    Not all will be vaccinated immediately: Expert

    “While Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine, produced using a killed virus, Covishield uses a weakened adenovirus. WHO guidelines recommend a deferral period of 14-28 days only in case of live attenuated vaccines, but the two vaccines in India are not live attenuated ones. The UK has a seven-day deferral period if a donor receives the AstraZeneca vaccine (Covishield) and develops symptoms post vaccination,” the senior doctor said.

    The deferral period should be reduced to 14 days since blood donation doesn’t decrease the immune response, and transfusion from a vaccinated (live attenuated vaccine) donor very rarely carries the risk of an immuno-compromised recipient contracting coronavirus infection, the doctor added.

    However, Jacob asserted that concerns about blood shortage are unwarranted since all donors won’t be vaccinated in the first week of May. “There may be a long queue for months. Also, due to reduction of elective surgeries and road accidents on account of lockdown, the demand for transfusion is expected to drop, like last year,” he said.

    Meanwhile in Telangana, various youth organisations, blood banks and NGOs are encouraging youngsters to donate blood before getting vaccinated. “Summer is when the need for blood is the highest, and number of donors lowest. Soon after the Centre announced vaccination for youth, reached out to them on social media, asking them to donate blood before getting vaccinated. e plan to conduct special blood donation camps across the country,” said P Vijaya Kumar Babu, in-charge of resource mobilisation, Indian Red Cross Society – Telangana.

    In Kerala, hospitals in all major cities are already suffering from a shortage of blood due to the inability to organise donation camps last year owing to the COVID-19 crisis. On Thursday, CM Pinarayi Vijayan urged youth to donate blood before getting vaccinated. Vinod Bhaskaran, founder of Blood Donors Kerala, said they launched a social media awareness drive.

    Blood Donors Kerala and DYFI have planned blood donation camps across the State in the coming days. In Odisha too, hospitals are running out of certain blood groups, according to the government’s e-Blood Bank. “The situation is not very good at blood banks, and may worsen within 10-12 days,” said NGO Lifeline Charitable Trust president Dhirendra Thakur.

    (Inputs from Madurai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Salem, Dharmapuri, Tiruchy, Hyderabad, Kochi and Bhubaneswar)

  • Maharashtra may face third COVID-19 wave if vaccination slows: Experts

    The warning came on a day when the Maharashtra government said it is not going to start the vaccination drive from May 1 for the 18-44 age group because of unavailability of sufficient doses.

  • Nadda accuses Mamata of misleading people on Covid vaccination

    By PTI
    MALDA: BJP president J P Nadda Monday accused Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee of misleading people of West Bengal on various issues, ranging from “insider-outsider” to Covid vaccination during the campaigning for the assembly elections in the state.

    Nadda also asserted his party had upheld the culture and legacy of Bengal as against the insulting language adopted by Banerjee against the BJP leadership.

    “During the campaign for the eight-phase elections, which comes to an end on Monday, Mamata Banerjee has made all efforts to mislead the people of Bengal and to instigate them using issues like insider-outsider and culture,” he said addressing a virtual public meeting here.

    The last phase of polling will be held on April 29 and the counting is scheduled for May 2.

    Claiming that BJP has left no stone unturned to reach the message of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Shyama Prasad Mookerjee to all corner of the country, he said “it is you who (Banerjee) is the outsider and we who are the true insiders.”

    Banerjee in her speeches has often spoken of `bahiragoto (outsiders) bringing Corona virus to the state.

    Contending that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often spoken of the sweetness of Bengali as a language, Nadda asked “but the language you (Banerjee) use, is that the culture of Bengal?” BJP has earlier too accused the chief minister of using expletives against top BJP leaders including Modi.

    “It is the BJP which has upheld the culture and legacy of Bengal while Mamata Banerjee has insulted the state through her abusive language and arrogance we (BJP) have made our points in a refined manner, in the true tradition of the state,” he said.

    Nadda, a former Union Health Minister, sought to know how the state government is providing daily updates on vaccinations to the Centre if vaccines are not available in West Bengal.

    He said that while on the one hand Banerjee is “making false allegations” on availability of vaccines, on the other she chose to absent herself from meetings convened by the prime minister on the nationwide inoculation programme.

    Accusing the TMC of unleashing violence in the state during the campaign, he condemned the “murderous attack” on BJP candidate from Malda, Gopal Chandra Saha, maintaining that the people will answer “bullets with ballots”.

    Nadda said that Saha, who was shot in the neck on April 18 by unidentified assailants at Malda, is fighting for his life in a hospital.

    He claimed that Malda, popular for its rich harvest of mangoes across the country, is now better known for bomb making and fake currency.

    “Didi has admitted defeat in this election and is expressing her anger violence is being perpetrated by TMC goons on BJP workers and leaders,” Nadda alleged.

    He claimed that the chief minister, who also holds the Health portfolio, is trying to spread panic by alleging that Covid-19 vaccines are not available in the state.

    Nadda said several projects, including railway, road and solar power projects have already been taken up by the Centre for development of the state, and claimed more will follow once the BJP forms a government in West Bengal.

     

  • Modi govt’s vaccine policy allowing Serum Institute to earn ‘super profits’: Experts

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The new Covid vaccination strategy, announced earlier this week, has allowed the Serum Institute of India (SII), a private firm, to dominate the vaccine pricing and policy and earn super profits, experts have pointed out.

    It is also in contradiction of an earlier stated stand by the National Expert Group on Vaccination Administration for Covid, which was in the favour of a single point of procurement for vaccines, many felt.

    The shift in the policy by the Centre now means that states and private hospitals can directly procure 50% of the supplies from vaccine makers while the Centre will aim its drive to fund jabs for those above 45 at select vaccination centres.

    SII, whose product, Covishield, has been the linchpin of India’s Covid vaccination drive so far with over 90% share in total 13 crore plus shots administered so far, has said that it will make available the vaccine at Rs 400 per dose to states and Rs 600 per shot to hospitals from May 1 when all adults in the country will qualify for inoculations.

    The company had signed an agreement to supply nearly 11 crore vaccine doses — between January to April — at Rs 150 per dose to the Centre and its CEO Adar Poonawalla in an interview earlier had indicated that it was recovering the production cost at that rate and was even making normal profit.

    The latest pricing announcement, however, makes it clear that the company is now looking to earn a greater margin on the vaccine, originally developed by AstraZeneca-Oxford University through 97% public funding by the UK government and the European Union.

    SII had earlier announced that it would want to sell Covishield at Rs 1,000 per dose in the private market, pointed out R Ramkumar, an economist with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai who has been closely following the development.

    “Perhaps it could not do it in one go but is clearly looking to maximise its profit and the Centre has succumbed under the pressure,” he said.

    He also stressed that the government, even considering that the vaccine will now cost Rs 400 per dose, will have to spend just Rs 53,000 crore—or 0.2% of the GDP—to incolutate the entire adult population with two doses.

    ALSO READ | Preliminary study shows Covishield protects against double mutant strain: CCMB director Rakesh Mishra

    “Why should the government shy away from doing that in the large public good and lead to a chaos that is about to unfold once states starting vying for the vaccine during a pandemic situation?” he asked.

    Epidemiologist Jammi N Rao dubbed the policy of having two or even 3 different prices for different purchasers as “mad”.

    “From a fiscal point of view state or central government makes no difference, it is ultimately the same taxpayer funded pot of money,” he said and made four points to argue against a system of multiple channels of procurement and differential pricing.

    Firstly, it breaches the principle of universality, Rao said.

    “There is now almost unanimous agreement that a quick and efficient programme of vaccinating the majority of the population offers the best, perhaps the only, means of escaping the chokehold exerted by waves of Covid-19 cases on normal life and economic activity,” he reckoned.

    Secondly, if states are forced to do their own procurement at an additional cost they may well be pushed into charging people for the service, Rao argued saying that it will create a new disincentive for people already impoverished by the economic slump and loss of livelihoods according to him.  

    Also, said Rao, by allowing manufacturers to set their own prices, the country loses the ability of bulk procurement and price negotiations to get the most cost-effective deal.

    The fourth argument put forth by him is that the new procurement policy subtly glosses over the cash injection that the Indian taxpayer has made into the two main vaccine manufacturers—the other one being Bharat Biotech.

     Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had two days back announced that the Centre would fund capacity expansion to the tune of Rs 3000 crores to Serum Institute and Rs 1575 Rs crores to Bharat Biotech.

    “While this is absolutely to be welcomed, one should remember that this cash injection was on behalf of the Indian tax-payer. It is justified therefore to expect that the Indian government — it makes no difference whether it is Centre or states gets a preferential price for the vaccines that the extra capacity will produce,” Rao stressed.

    Some others meanwhile expressed dismay at the SII decision to introduce differential pricing for governments and the private market.

    “I strongly disagree with that unilateral decision,” said K V Babu of the Association of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare. 

  • Registration for COVID vaccination on CoWIN for those above 18 to begin from April 28

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Registration for vaccination against COVID-19 for all those aged above 18 will begin on the CoWIN platform and Aarogya Setu app from April 28, officials said on Thursday.

    The inoculation process and documents to be submitted to get the jab remains the same.

    The central government had announced that the vaccination for those above 18 years will begin across the country from May 1 as part of the third phase of the inoculation drive.

    Certain modifications, including the age criteria and a few other features, have been done and the CoWIN platform is ready to meet the rising demand as is expected once the vaccination for all is opened up, an official said.

    From May 1, the present system of private COVID-19 vaccination centres receiving doses from the government and charging up to Rs 250 per dose will cease to exist and private hospitals will procure directly from vaccine manufacturers.

    According to the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, COVID-19 vaccination will continue to be free for eligible population groups comprising healthcare workers, frontline workers and people above 45 years of age in government vaccination centres, which receive doses from the government of India.

    Vaccine manufacturers would make an advance declaration of the price for 50 per cent supply that would be available to state governments in the open market before May 1.

    Based on this price, states, private hospitals, industrial establishments may procure vaccine doses from manufacturers.

    Private hospitals would have to procure their supplies of COVID-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50 per cent supply earmarked for other than the government of India channel.

    “While the Centre has liberalised the vaccination policy, it does not mean that vaccines will be sold in pharmacists or chemist shops in the open market,” health secretary Rajesh Bhushan had clarified on Wednesday.

    The price charged for vaccination by private hospitals would be monitored, he said.

    “The present dispensation where private COVID vaccination centres receive doses from the government and can charge up to Rs 250 per dose will cease to exist,” the Union health ministry said.

    Vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to the government of India and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to state governments and in the open market.

     For government of India vaccination centres, the eligible population would be the same, which exists today, that is healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) and population above 45 years of age.

    For other than the government of India channel, the eligibility would be all adult citizens of the country, the document said.

    ALSO READ | How long does protection from COVID-19 vaccines last?

    Vaccination against COVID-19 will continue to be free for eligible population groups in all those government COVID vaccination centres which receive vaccine doses from the central government.

    All vaccination (through government of India vaccination centres and other than the government of India channel) will be part of the National Vaccination Programme, will follow all existing guidelines, will be captured on the CoWIN platform along with the stocks and price per vaccination applicable in all vaccination centres, will comply with Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) management and reporting, digital vaccination certificate and all other prescribed norms.

    The division of vaccine supply, which would mean 50 per cent to the government of India and 50 per cent to other than the government of India channel would be applicable uniformly across for all vaccines manufactured in the country.

    However, the fully ready to use imported vaccine would be allowed to be utilised entirely in the other than government of India channel, it said.

    The Centre from its share will allocate vaccines to states and union territories based on the criteria of performance (speed of administration, average consumption), extent of infections (number of active COVID-19 cases), the document stated.

    Second dose of all existing priority groups i.e. HCWs, FLWs and people aged above 45, wherever it has become due, would be given priority, for which a specific and focused strategy would be communicated to all stakeholders.

    This policy would come into effect from May 1 and would be reviewed from time-to-time.

  • SC asks Centre to come with ‘national plan’ on oxygen supply, COVID vaccination

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: As the country grapples with the current wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court Thursday took suo motu cognisance of the prevailing grim situation and said it wanted a ”national plan” on issues, including supply of oxygen and essential drugs for the treatment of patients infected with the virus.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it would also consider the issue pertaining to method and manner of COVID-19 vaccination in the country.

    The bench, also comprising Justices L N Rao and S R Bhat, said it would examine the aspect relating to power of the high courts to declare lockdown amid the pandemic.

    The apex court appointed senior advocate Harish Salve as an amicus curiae to assist it in the suo motu proceedings.

    The bench issued notice to the Centre and said it would hear the matter on Friday.

  • Covaxin found to be effective against most Covid variants; expert says result “not surprising”

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Bharat Biotech and ICMR on Wednesday announced results of the phase 3 efficacy trial of Covaxin, India’s first and only indigenously developed Covid19 vaccine so far, and said that it has an overall 78 % interim clinical efficacy and 100 % efficacy against serious disease.

    ICMR under the Union ministry of health and family welfare, which is co-developer of the vaccine, also said that the vaccine has been found to effectively neutralise “most variants” of SARS CoV 2 including the UK,  Brazilian and even the double mutant strain, now rampant in few states including Maharashtra. 

    In a joint statement, the Hyderabad-based vaccine maker and  ICMR said that the latest efficacy results are based on the second interim analysis, which included 87 symptomatic cases of Covid-19. 

    Due to the recent surge in cases, 127 symptomatic cases were recorded, resulting in a point estimate of vaccine efficacy of 78% against mild, moderate, and severe Covid-19 disease, they announced.

    ALSO READ | Cons of Modi government’s new policy outweigh pros

    The efficacy against severe Covid-19 disease was 100%, while the impact on reduction in hospitalizations and the efficacy against asymptomatic Covid-19 infection was 70%, suggesting decreased transmission in Covaxin recipients.

    The statement however added that safety and efficacy results from the final analysis will be available in June and only then the final report will be submitted for a peer-reviewed publication.

    ICMR study shows #COVAXIN neutralises against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 and effectively neutralises the double mutant strain as well. @MoHFW_INDIA @DeptHealthRes #IndiaFightsCOVID19 #LargestVaccineDrive pic.twitter.com/syv5T8eHuR
    — ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) April 21, 2021

    Based on the achievement of the success criteria, placebo recipients have now become eligible to receive two doses of Covaxin, it was also declared.

    The phase 3 study enrolled 25800 participants between 18-98 years of age, including 10% over the age of 60, with analysis conducted 14 days after the second dose.

    Krishna Ella, chairman and managing director, Bharat Biotech, said the efficacy data against severe Covid-19 and asymptomatic infections is highly significant, as this helps reduce hospitalisations and disease transmission, respectively.

    Balram Bhargava, director-general of ICMR, said he was happy to note that the vaccine works well against most variants of SARS-CoV-2. “These findings together consolidate the position of our indigenous vaccine in the global vaccine landscape,” he added.

    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

    When asked, some vaccine experts said the news that the vaccine has been found effective against the mutant virus is along “expected lines”.

    “Speaking purely from the scientific point of view, the discovery is not surprising as Covaxin is based on inactivated SARS CoV 2,” said senior immunologist Seyed Hasnain.

    “While most other vaccines including those by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca mainly target only spike protein which is fast mutating in case of this virus, Covaxin has seven viral proteins in it that will trigger a much more wholesome immune response,” he said.

    Hasnain added that traditionally, vaccines based on whole inactivated viruses, have shown to work better in case of viral diseases such as polio. 

    ALSO SEE: