News Analysis India

Tag: ICMR

  • ICMR launches project to carry out RCTs in systemic way, calls hospitals to join hands

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The ICMR on Wednesday invited government and private medical colleges, private hospitals with experience in conducting randomised control trials, and institutes under it to join its Indian Clinical Trial & Education Network project which will serve as a pan-India network of institutes with proven excellence in clinical research.

    The network, thus established, will conduct large-scale, multi-centric clinical trials in a timely and well-regulated manner, said the health research body.

    A statement by the ICMR said that INTENT envisages providing evidence-based, cost-effective, scientifically sound, and culturally appropriate solutions to diseases and health issues of national and regional importance.

    It will provide a single platform to conduct a range of RCTs, that will enable harmonization of trial methods, pooling of results, and timely completion of the projects, along with an inclusive representation of the diverse Indian communities, the agency added.

    Additionally, this network is being projected to be at the forefront of the capacity building of a pool of health researchers across the country. The trainees will acquire requisite skills to plan and conduct RCTs and to analyse and disseminate the results that could inform policy and practice, said the ICMR.

    Among others, the areas which will be covered by INTENT are reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health communicable and noncommunicable diseases, nutrition, mental health, environmental health, health system research, healthcare financing, digital health, occupational health, vulnerable people’s health and oral health.

    The clinical trials to be conducted by project partners can be grouped as short, intermediate, and long-term projects.

    To begin with, the focus of the network will be on short-term projects, where questions relevant to national health needs can be answered within 1-2 years and the projects will be primarily funded by ICMR.

  • ICMR asks states to make proof of completed COVID vaccination must for travel

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Senior scientists associated with the ICMR have come up with a set of prescriptions to lower the risk of a localised COVID-19 surge due to any increase in population density in the wake of the upcoming festive season and people undertaking “revenge travels”.  

    The researchers have suggested to the state governments that they may consider requiring proof of completed vaccination status or a recent COVID negative test result in order to stay at accommodations in destinations within the state.

    These requirements, says their paper, could be applied at the point of arrival in holiday accommodation, where current rules require the collection of traveller detail.

    All travellers should also register their contact details upon arrival to facilitate contact tracing in the event of any upsurge in infection, the researchers associated with the ICMR, including its director general Balram Bhargava, and Imperial College, London, have recommended.

    The analysis noted that following the second wave, there has been an upsurge in domestic travel to holiday destinations, particularly Himalayan towns. Modelling suggests that such travel could enhance the peak of a third wave in these states by almost 50 per cent. Principles of ‘responsible travel’ should be adhered to, the authors have said.

    The researchers said that data from Himachal Pradesh suggests that in a typical holiday season, tourism can increase the population, and thus population density, by 40 per cent. Taking this into consideration, the third-wave peak could increase by up to 47 per cent during the holiday season, and could occur two weeks earlier, compared to a scenario of easing restrictions in the absence of holiday travel.

    The analysis also threw up a scenario where population density in India has a stronger effect on transmission than in the USA and therefore the holiday period could amplify the third-wave peak by up to 103 per cent and cumulative incidence in that wave by 43 per cent, and hasten the timing of the epidemic peak by four weeks, compared to a scenario of easing restrictions in the absence of holiday travel.

    Johnson & Johnson claims 79 per cent protection 

    As India hopes to receive the first batch of single-shot COVID-19 vaccine by US pharma major Johnson & Johnson in October, the company released data from the real world to claim that it offers nearly 81 per cent protection against hospitalisation, even against delta variant.

    Calling it the largest real world evidence study reported to date in the US, the company said the vaccine showed stable effectiveness of 79 per cent against infections and 81 per cent against COVID-related hospitalisations.

    There was no evidence of reduced effectiveness over the study duration, including when the delta variant. The study included 3,90,000 people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine versus about 1.52 million unvaccinated people from March to late July. 

    R-value drops below 1 in September

    R-value, which reflects how rapidly coronavirus pandemic is spreading, dropped to 0.92 by mid-September after spiralling over 1 by August-end, according to researchers. However, the R-values of major cities, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, are over 1.

    The R-value of Delhi and Pune are below 1. The R-values of Maharashtra and Kerala are below 1, giving a much needed relief to these two states with the highest number of active cases. The R-value was 1.17 by the end of August. It declined to 1.11 between September 4-7.

  • COVID-19 booster dose is not central theme as of now: ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday said COVID-19 booster shot is not the central theme in scientific discussion as well as in the public health domain at the moment and getting the two doses remain the main priority.

    Responding to a question at a press briefing, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said administering both the doses is absolutely essential and there should be no breakage in that. “We need to remember one thing very clearly that booster dose is not the central theme at the moment in the scientific discussion as well as in the public health domain. Getting the two doses remains the major priority,” Bhargava said.

    “Several agencies have recommended that antibody levels should not be measured…but the important understanding is that full vaccination of both the doses is absolutely essential and there should be no breakage in that,” he said.

    ALSO READ| ‘Provocative, attention seeking’: Centre condemns recent New York Times article on COVID response

    Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 20 per cent of India’s adult population have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 62 per cent have got at least one dose. Also, 99 per cent of the healthcare workers have received the first dose while 82 per cent of the eligible healthcare workers have taken the second dose.

    Bhushan further said that 100 per cent of the frontline workers have been administered the first dose while 78 per cent of them have been given the second dose. So far, all adult people in five states and union territories — Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Chandigarh and Lakshadweep — have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

    ALSO READ| Kerala logs 68 per cent of total COVID-19 cases reported in India: Union Health Ministry

    According to data, the average daily doses administered in a month has increased from 19.69 lakh in May to 39.89 lakh in June, then further to 43.41 lakh in July and to 59.19 lakh in August. The average daily vaccination in the first 15 days of September has been 74.40 lakh per day, Bhushan said.

  • ‘Provocative, attention seeking’: Centre condemns recent New York Times article on COVID response

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government called the recent New York Times article on India’s COVID response a “provocative, attention seeking” piece that comes at a time when the country is doing well in tackling the pandemic.

    The article claimed that the “ICMR tailored its findings to fit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s optimistic narrative despite a looming crisis”.

    Responding to a question at a press briefing, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said, “This is a provocative, attention seeking article published at a time when India is doing good and our vaccination is excellent and it is diverting attention. All the issues raised are dead ones and probably do not merit any attention.”

    Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the Union government as well as the state governments are fully emerged in fighting a pandemic and all our energies and time is devoted to that. “We greatly value journalistic and editorial freedom and at the same time we must also realise that all of us – Union government as well as the state governments – are fully emerged in fighting a pandemic and all our energies and time is devoted to that,” he said.

    “We cannot afford to be diverted by things that can be addressed at a later day which are not priority from the public health point of view,” Bhushan said.

    NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr VK Paul condemned the article. “We actually condemn this type of distorted out of context reporting. This is not desirable and it should not happen,” he said.

  • Centre calls for vaccination, COVID-appropriate behaviour as festivities near

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As the festival season approaches, the government on Thursday cautioned against a spike in coronavirus infections, and stressed that the call of the hour is vaccine acceptance, maintenance of COVID-19-appropriate behaviour, responsible travel and responsible festivities.

    “Overall there is stabilisation in COVID-19 cases and Kerala has also reported drop in cases….In the coming two-three months, we need to be cautious that there is no upsurge….It is also the period of festivities and also when flu cases rise…we request everyone to be careful and retain the gain that we have achieved (in the pandemic management),” an official said at a press briefing.

    Referring to the coming festivals, ICMR DG Balram Bhargava said, “…sudden increase in population density creates a very conducive environment for viral spread. If there is sudden increase in population density then the virus finds it very useful to spread, so the call of the hour is vaccine acceptance, maintenance of COVID-appropriate behaviour, responsible travel and responsible festivities.”

    ALSO READ| Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya calls for major push to COVID vaccine drive on PM’s birthday

    The government said that 20 per cent of India’s adult population have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 62 per cent have got at least one dose. Thirty-four districts in the country are reporting a weekly positivity rate of over 10 per cent and the figure is anything between five and 10 per cent in 32 districts.

    It said Kerala reported 67.79 per cent of India’s total COVID-19 cases last week and that it is the only state with more than 1 lakh active cases. “Overall there is stabilisation and Kerala has also reported drop in cases. Mizoram is a state of concern but we hope condition will improve there by fast vaccination and pandemic response is effective,” NITI Aayog member (health) VK Paul said.

    “In the coming two-three months, we need to be cautious that there is no upsurge and it can be reduced when detected. When people estimate when vulnerability will rise then they indicate October and November as the months and it is also the period of festivities and also when flu cases rise so in coming quarter we request everyone to be careful and retain the gain that we have achieved,” he added.

    ALSO READ| Mizoram reports 1,402 new COVID-19 cases, positivity rate stands at 12.1 per cent

    With 30,570 more people testing positive for COVID-19, India’s overall infection tally has risen to 3,33,47,325, while the count of active cases has dipped to 3,42,923, according to the Union Health Ministry on Thursday.

    The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 4,43,928 with 431 daily fatalities being recorded, according to data updated by the ministry at 8 am.

  • Aviation Ministry grants ICMR conditional permission to use drones for COVID vaccine delivery

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI:  The Civil Aviation Ministry said on Monday it has granted conditional permission to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to use drones in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Manipur and Nagaland to deliver vaccines beyond the visual line of sight.

    The ICMR has been permitted to use drones up to a height of 3,000 metre to deliver vaccines, the ministry’s statement added.

    Two days back, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had launched first of its kind ‘Medicines from the Sky’ project at Vikarabad in Telangana under which drugs and vaccines will be delivered using drones.

    The ministry’s statement mentioned that the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai has also received the conditional permission to use drones for research, development and testing purposes in its own premises.

    The statement said that both the organisations — the IIT and the ICMR — have been granted conditional exemption from Drone Rules, 2021. “This exemption shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the said airspace clearance and shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of approval of the said airspace clearance or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” the statement noted.

    On August 25, the ministry had notified Drone Rules, 202, that liberalised the regulatory regime over drones. The Drone Rules, 2021, have been notified to “usher in an era of super-normal growth while balancing safety and security considerations in drone operations”, the ministry’s statement said.

  • First shot of Covid jab lowers risk of mortality by 96.6%, second one by 97.5%: Centre

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The government is set to launch a Covid vaccine tracker that will allow users to access weekly updates related to vaccine effectiveness and death figures among all age groups with or without inoculations. 

    Announcing this in a press briefing by the Union health ministry, ICMR director general Balram Bhargava, said the data from April 18 to August 16 shows that Covid vaccines lowered the risk of mortality by 96.6% after the first dose and 97.5% after the second dose.

    “The tracker will be up on the health ministry’s website in a few days’ time,” said Bhargava.

    The tracker, he further explained, will synergise data from three platforms, CoWIN—the portal used for booking vaccination slots, ICMR’s national Covid testing database, and the national Covid19 portal, maintained by the health ministry.

    It will show the mortality due to Covid trifurcated into segments—non-vaccinated, vaccinated with one dose and fully vaccinated and later, even number of cases of breakthrough infections and reinfections.

    ALSO READ | Fight against COVID successful but hair loss leaves many survivors down in the dumps

    Citing the data from the website which is still under construction, Bhargava pointed out that on May 9, for example, the majority of the people who died of Covid in a group analysed had not received even one dose against coronavirus.

    It also depicted that 1.87 % of people who died on this day were vaccinated with one dose while only 1.1% of the people who succumbed to Covid19 were fully vaccinated.

    “Vaccine effectiveness in preventing mortality with one dose stood at 96.6% whereas vaccine effectiveness in preventing mortality with two doses stood at 97.5%,” said Bhargava.

    Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the tracker will also show vaccine coverage in the adult population with the first dose and the second dose.

    For example, the data shows that on August 15, total vaccine coverage was 44.63% out of which 31.9% of people received the first jabs while 12.37 had got the second shots as well.

    As of Thursday morning over 72 crore Covid vaccine doses had been administered in the country and while 58 % of the total adult population in India has now received at least one dose of vaccine, 18% of people in the category are now fully vaccinated.

    The details shared in the press conference also showed that there are 38 districts in India reporting over 100 daily Covid19 cases while the number of districts reporting over 10 % test positivity rate is also the same.

    For the country as a whole, the test positivity rate has been under 3% for the last 10 weeks even though the situation in Kerala, the only state with over 1 lakh active Covid cases, remains worrisome.  

  • Single dose of Covaxin may be enough for people who recovered from COVID-19: Study

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A single dose of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin in previously COVID-19-infected individuals elicits a similar antibody response as obtained with two doses of the vaccine in those without a previous history of the disease, according to an ICMR study.

    The study was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research on Saturday.

    “If our preliminary findings are confirmed in large population studies, a single dose of BBV152 vaccine may be recommended to previously confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals so that the naive individuals could attain the larger benefit of a limited vaccine supply,” it said.

    India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, codenamed BBV152, was approved by the government for emergency use in January.

    Two doses are given with a gap of four to six weeks.

    The study was undertaken to examine SARS-CoV-2–specific antibody responses after day zero (baseline, before vaccination), day 28 plus/minus two days post-first dose (month 1) and day 56 plus/minus two days post-first dose (month 2) of BBV152 in a group of healthcare professionals as well as frontline workers.

    The antibody response of individuals with confirmed pre-vaccination SARSCoV-2 infection was compared with those individuals without prior evidence of infection.

    As a part of the study, blood samples were collected from 114 healthcare professionals and frontline workers who received Covaxin at vaccination centres in Chennai from February to May 2021.

    “Overall, good vaccine-induced antibody responses were seen in prior SARS-CoV-2–infected individuals, except in two, who received a single dose of BBV152 vaccine that was similar to antibody responses seen after a two-dose vaccination course administered to infection-naive individuals,” the study stated.

    “Our results in a varied group of healthcare professionals and frontline workers lend support to the previous studies (albeit mainly focused on mRNA vaccines) that increased levels of SARS-CoV-2 binding and neutralizing antibodies are present after a single vaccine dose in previously infected individuals and are comparable to the levels seen after two doses in those without prior infection,” it added.

    The study offers evidence in support of public health-oriented and immunologically sustained vaccine strategies.

  • For Covid-cured, one dose of Covaxin is equivalent to two doses, says study

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Those who have got one dose of Covaxin after having contracted Covid infection before may have the same level of protection against the disease as those without prior infection but two doses of this Covid vaccine, a latest ICMR study has said. 

    Covaxin, a whole inactivated virus-based vaccine against coronavirus has been jointly developed by Bharat Biotech and ICMR. 

    In a pilot study conducted on 114 healthcare professionals, it has now been found that previous infection plus the first dose of Covaxin is equivalent to two doses of the vaccine in individuals who have not been infected by the virus. 

    For the research, blood samples were collected from 114 healthcare professionals and frontline workers who received Covaxin from February to May this year by scientists attached with ICMR’s National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, and the Division of Epidemiology & Communicable Diseases. 

    Of the individuals studied, 30 had a history of exposure to the virus while others did not. 

    ALSO READ | UP administers 1 crore doses of Covid vaccine in 11 days, crosses 7 crore vaccination mark

    Prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 was determined at baseline and serum samples were used to estimate SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein-specific IgG (IgG N), spike protein-specific (IgG S) and neutralizing antibodies (NAb). 

    Overall, good vaccine-induced antibody responses were seen in prior SARS-CoV-2–infected individuals, except in two, who received a single dose of Covaxin that was similar to antibody responses seen after a two-dose vaccination course administered to infection-naïve individuals. 

    “Our results in a varied group of healthcare professionals and frontline workers lend support to the previous studies (albeit mainly focused on mRNA vaccines) that increased levels of SARS-CoV-2 binding and neutralizing antibodies are present after a single vaccine dose in previously infected individuals and are comparable to the levels seen after two doses in those without prior infection,” the authors said.

    Their paper also said that in conclusion, almost all participants with prior Covid infection, except two, had detectable antibodies at the time of vaccination.

    The study offers evidence in support of public health-oriented and immunologically sustained vaccine strategies, the scientist noted.

    They added that if these preliminary findings are confirmed in large population studies, a single dose of the Covaxin vaccine may be recommended to previously confirmed Covid infected individuals so that the naïve individuals could attain the larger benefit of a limited vaccine supply.

  • Experts seek ICMR norms on booster dose against Covid

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: The medical community is of the opinion that the government needs to issue guidelines to ascertain whether a booster Covid vaccine dose is necessary or not.

    Dr Ravindra Mehta, Senior Consultant and HoD, Pulmonology and Interventional Pulmonology at Apollo Speciality Hospitals, said that other countries have conducted studies and found that two vaccine doses are not enough to fight the Delta variant. “Hence, a booster dose may help,” he added. 

    He said booster doses can be given to people who are immunocompromised, or have waning vaccine immunity, or are unable to mount an immune response despite two doses, etc. “There needs to be a strategy in place. We do not have sufficient data on vaccine immunity waning, time-gap before the booster dose, etc. The discussion right now is presumptive,” he stated.

    Dr Pruthu Narendra Dhekane, Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Fortis Hospitals, said the focus right now should be on 100 per cent vaccine coverage. “We should first try to give both the doses to people, then we can think about a booster dose,” he said. “In the UK, booster doses will be administered for healthcare workers and the elderly in September. However, in India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has not come out with guidelines,” said Dr Aravinda G M, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospitals.

    “ICMR is likely to take a call after looking at data on reinfection, antibody titres, the prevalence found in the recent serosurvey and benefits of the first two doses. A booster dose will be needed if the existing two doses do not offer sufficient protection,” the doctor added, and said the medical fraternity is divided over the subject.