News Analysis India

Tag: Covishield

  • Covid: Number of active cases in India lowest in 151 days

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A single-day rise of 34,457 COVID-19 cases pushed India’s tally to 3,23,93,286 on Saturday, while the number of active cases declined to 3,61,340, the lowest in 151 days, according to Union health ministry data.

    India has reported less than 50,000 daily cases for 55 consecutive days.

    The death toll climbed to 4,33,964 with 375 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

    The 3,61,340 active cases comprise 1.12 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March last year.

    The national COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 97.54 per cent, the highest since March last year, the ministry said.

    A reduction of 2,265 cases has been recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate stands at 2 per cent.

    It has been less than 3 per cent for the last 26 days, according to the ministry.

    The weekly positivity rate stands at 1.98 per cent.

    It has been below 3 per cent for the last 57 days, the ministry said.

    As many as 17,21,205 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Friday, taking the total number of tests done so far in the country to 50,45,76,158.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 3,15,97,982, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

    So far, 57.61 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year, 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, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    India’s caseload crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

    The 375 new fatalities include 105 from Maharashtra and 99 from Kerala.

    Of the 4,33,964 deaths reported so far in the country, 1,35,672 were from Maharashtra, 37,105 from Karnataka, 34,663 from Tamil Nadu, 25,079 from Delhi, 22,791 from Uttar Pradesh, 19,345 from Kerala and 18,346 from West Bengal.

    The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

    “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation. 

  • Covid: Number of active cases in India lowest since March 2020

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A single-day rise of 34,457 COVID-19 cases pushed India’s tally to 3,23,93,286 on Saturday, while the number of active cases declined to 3,61,340, the lowest in 151 days, according to Union health ministry data.

    India has reported less than 50,000 daily cases for 55 consecutive days.

    The death toll climbed to 4,33,964 with 375 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

    The 3,61,340 active cases comprise 1.12 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March last year.

    The national COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 97.54 per cent, the highest since March last year, the ministry said.

    A reduction of 2,265 cases has been recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate stands at 2 per cent.

    It has been less than 3 per cent for the last 26 days, according to the ministry.

    The weekly positivity rate stands at 1.98 per cent.

    It has been below 3 per cent for the last 57 days, the ministry said.

    As many as 17,21,205 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Friday, taking the total number of tests done so far in the country to 50,45,76,158.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 3,15,97,982, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

    So far, 57.61 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year, 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, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    India’s caseload crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

    The 375 new fatalities include 105 from Maharashtra and 99 from Kerala.

    Of the 4,33,964 deaths reported so far in the country, 1,35,672 were from Maharashtra, 37,105 from Karnataka, 34,663 from Tamil Nadu, 25,079 from Delhi, 22,791 from Uttar Pradesh, 19,345 from Kerala and 18,346 from West Bengal.

    The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

    “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation. 

  • No nod yet, but many curious about mixing Covid vaccine doses

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU: Ever since the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) came out with a study that mixing of the Covid vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — have shown better results, many people have been approaching hospitals to inquire if they can get a different vaccine for the second shot.

    According to the study, a combination of an adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine, followed by inactivated whole virus vaccine, provided better immunogenicity and was safe. The study was done on 18 individuals who received Covishield for the first dose and Covaxin for the second dose. Also, 40 recipients who got Covishield and another 40 who got Covaxin for both doses were also studied. The study highlighted that lower and similar adverse events following immunisation in all three groups underlined the safety of the combination vaccine regime.

    “After media reports about the mix-and-match doses, many people want to know if they can get mixed doses. It is important to know that right now, ICMR has given nod only for clinical trials of mix-and-match vaccine use. Those coming to us with such requests are being told that  with no approval for it now, we cannot go ahead with it,” said Dr Pruthu Narendra Dhekane, Consultant-Infectious Diseases, Fortis Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru.

    Dr Dhekane added, “In studies abroad on mix-and-match of doses, it has shown to be beneficial and gives prolonged serological titre. But in India, it hasn’t been approved yet…we will have to wait and watch.”

    A doctor at a PHC in Wilson Garden too said they had got similar requests. Dr Sujay Prasad, Medical Director, Neuberg Anand Reference Laboratory, cautioned that people should not wait till the government decides on mixing of doses, and should instead go ahead and take the second dose of the vaccine they had taken earlier.

    “There are very few studies to show the efficacy of mixing of vaccines. Preliminary results have started coming out, like Pfizer and Astra Zeneca, where good antibody response is shown. We should continue with what is tested and known. For now, we can consider looking into booster doses,” he said.

  • Report about fake Covishield vaccine being probed: Mandaviya

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the government has launched an inquiry into a report claiming that counterfeit versions of Covishield, India’s primary anti-COVID-19 vaccine, had been seized.

    “It has been claimed that duplicate versions of Covishield vaccine were sold in the country. The Indian government is probing this claim, and will take action if it found any substance to the allegations,” he told reporters in Rajkot.

    The report about counterfeit vaccine allegedly being seized quoted the World Health Organization.

    Mandaviya, who was recently elevated as health minister, also said that three more vaccines for adults would be available in India soon.

    “At present three vaccines are available in India – Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik. In coming days, three more vaccines would arrive, including one from Zydus Cadila. The other two will be from Genova and Biological Evans,” he said.

    On the Centre’s plan to tackle a possible third wave of the pandemic, he said it has already earmarked Rs 23,000 crore for the purpose.

    “We have planned to keep a buffer stock of medicines worth Rs 1 crore in each district along with one cryogenic tank for the supply of medical oxygen. We have also planned to deploy one ambulance at a block level. Hospitals have been instructed to reserve beds for COVID-19 patients and have separate beds for infected children,” he said.

    Mandaviya took out `Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ from Rajkot on Thursday and visited Virpur and Khodaldham temples on the first day of the tour.

  • Over 3.86 crore people didn’t get second dose of COVID vaccines within stipulated time: Centre

    An activist had filed an RTI query seeking to know from the government the number of people who had received the first dose of vaccines but did not take the second within the stipulated time.

  • No need to mix two COVID jabs: Serum Institute chairman Poonawalla against using cocktail of vaccines

    By PTI

    PUNE: Serum Institute of India (SII) chairman Dr Cyrus Poonawalla on Friday said he was not in favour of administering two different coronavirus vaccines for better efficacy.

    Poonawalla, whose firm makes the Covishield vaccine, was speaking to reporters after receiving the Lokmanya Tilak National Award here.

    “I am against the mixing of two different vaccines. There is no need to mix two different vaccines,” he said, when asked about a recent ICMR study that a cocktail of Covishield and Covaxin could generate better immunity.

    “If cocktail vaccines are administered and if the result is not good, then SII may say that another vaccine was not good, vice versa, the other company might say that since you mixed Serum’s vaccine, it did not give desired results,” Poonawalla said.

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    The efficacy of this approach has not been proven in field trials involving thousands of participants, he added.

    A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research involving 98 people, 18 of whom had inadvertently received Covishield as first dose and Covaxin as the second in Uttar Pradesh, showed that combining vaccines elicited better immunogenicity.

  • COVID-19: India’s drug regulator approves study on mixing of Covaxin and Covishield doses

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India’s drug regulator has given approval for a study to be conducted by the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore on mixing of COVID-19 vaccines Covaxin and Covishield, official sources said on Wednesday.

    An expert panel of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on July 29 had recommended granting permission for conducting the study.

    The trial will involve 300 healthy volunteers.

    “The aim of the study is to assess the feasibility on whether a person can be given two different vaccine shots — one each of Covishield and Covaxin — to complete the inoculation course,” a source said.

    Separately, a recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) involving 98 people, 18 of whom had inadvertently received Covishield as the first dose and Covaxin as the second in Uttar Pradesh, showed that combining these two COVID-19 vaccines elicited better immunogenicity than two doses of the same vaccine.

    The study also found that immunisation with combination of Covishield and Covaxin was safe and the adverse effects were also found to be similar when compared to the same dose regimen.

    Meanwhile, more than 53.24 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far and a further 72,40,250 doses are in the pipeline, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

    Of this, the total consumption including wastage is 51,56,11,035 doses.

    Over 2.25 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states, UTs and private hospitals to be administered, the ministry said.

    The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21.

  • 78 crore doses of Covishield, Covaxin will be available between August and October: Centre

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Centre has projected the production of nearly 78 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin, the two Covid vaccines which have been the lynchpin of the national Covid vaccination drive thus far, for the next three months. This raises hopes of pace in the sluggish programme.

    An internal note prepared by the Union health ministry, reviewed by The New Indian Express, has said that in August, nearly 25.5 crore doses of the two vaccines will be manufactured, while it will go to a little above 26 crore doses in September and 28 crore doses in October.

    In the country, the total Covid vaccination figures have crossed the 50 crore mark now but the population fully covered with two doses of the vaccine remains just about 11 crore — or less than 9% of the total adult population.

    The note by the government also said that between August and December, over 136 crore doses of Covishield by the Serum Institute of India and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech will be manufactured in India.

    Considering that nearly 52 crore doses of the vaccines have been supplied to the states so far, this could mean a total supply of 188 crore doses of these two vaccines by December.

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    Additionally, sources in the Union health ministry said that Covid vaccines by Biological E, Covovax, Janssen and Gennova will also be available starting October.

    “We are hoping to get about 35-40 crore doses of these vaccines in the last three months which will take the total tally of Covid vaccines to nearly 200 crore doses by the year-end,” a senior ministry official said.

    In the country, five Covid vaccines — Covaxin, Covishield, Sputnik V, Moderna and Janssen — have received emergency use approval so far.

    As India’s total adult population is about 95 crore, about 190 crore doses are required to fully vaccinate them.

    Those watching the Covid19 vaccination drive closely meanwhile pointed out that the latest figures are based on the production capacity of vaccine makers, the government should also reveal the actual vaccine doses to be available in the coming months.

    “What we are being told is the projected production capacities of the vaccine makers but so far we have seen that the actual supply has been far lesser and an explanation of a few months’ lags in the production cycle is offered for this,” said a vaccinologist attached with a government institute in Faridabad.

    “Therefore I will not be excited by these figures and would want to see how many doses are actually supplied in the coming months” he added.

    The Centre in May had projected availability of 216 crore Covid vaccine doses between August and December but had later revised it to 135 crore, with top functionaries saying that the figure presented earlier was “aspirational”.

  • Monthly production capacity of Covishield projected to increase to 120 million, Covaxin to 58 million doses: Minister

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The monthly production capacity of Covishield is projected to be increased to more than 120 million doses and of Covaxin to around 58 million doses by December, the government told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, citing information from the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.

    Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was responding to a question on the current capacity to manufacture Covaxin and Covishield in the country, and the expected capacity going forward from August to December 2021.

    “As communicated by the manufacturers, the monthly vaccine production capacity of Covishield is projected to be increased from 110 million doses per month to more than 120 million doses per month and the production capacity of Covaxin is projected to be increased from 25 million doses per month to around 58 million doses per month,” the minister said in a written reply.

    Further, the Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology has launched ‘Mission COVID Suraksha- the Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission’.

    The Mission is being implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a public sector undertaking (PSU) of the Department of Biotechnology, the reply stated.

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    Under the Mission, facility augmentation of Bharat Biotech and one state public sector enterprise and 2 central public sector enterprises (PSEs) — Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Mumbai; Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad and Bharat Immunologicals Biologicals Limited (BIBCOL), Bulandshahr — for production of Covaxin have been supported.

    In addition, technology transfer of Covaxin production to Gujarat COVID Vaccine Consortium (GCVC), including Hester Biosciences and OmniBRx Biotechnologies Pvt Ltd, led by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) of Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, has also been facilitated, the reply said.

    Further, the Centre has also extended financial assistance to one of the domestic manufacturers for ‘At-risk manufacturing’, advance payment against the supply orders placed with Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, besides streamlining regulatory norms for approval of vaccines, the reply added.

  • Serum Institute chairman Cyrus Poonawalla named as recipient of Lokmanya Tilak National Award

    By PTI

    PUNE: Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, chairman of the city-based vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII), will be honoured with the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award for 2021. Deepak Tilak, president of the Lokmanya Tilak Trust, has made the announcement.

    “Poonawalla will be felicitated for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein he helped in saving many lives by manufacturing Covishield vaccine. Under his leadership, crores of doses of Covishield vaccine were made available to the world in record time. Poonawalla has been at the forefront of making different vaccines at affordable prices,” Tilak said on Friday.

    The award ceremony will take place on August 13, he said, adding that the award comprises cash prize of Rs one lakh and a memento. The award is annually given on August 1, the death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak, but due to the coronavirus situation, the date has been changed this year, Tilak added.

    The award was started in 1983 and so far, several prominent personalities from different walks of life have been honoured with it.

    Some of the recipients include socialist leader S M Joshi, former prime ministers Indira Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Congress leader late Pranab Mukherjee and Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy.