News Analysis India

Tag: Pandemic

  • Expert panel endorses Covaxin for kids, vaccine may come in pre-filled syringes

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: An expert panel on Covid under the country’s apex drug regulator has approved administering Covaxin for kids and adolescents, paving the way for the availability of the country’s first indigenous vaccine for children as young as 2 years.

    Though a last regulatory hurdle, in terms of final approval by the Drug Controller General of India still remains before the vaccine — developed jointly by Bharat Biotech and the ICMR — can be launched officially for kids aged 2-17 years, it is expected shortly.

    In a statement on Tuesday, Bharat Biotech said it had submitted data from clinical trials in the 2-18 years age group for Covaxin to the regulator which was thoroughly reviewed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and the subject expert committee.

    “This represents one of the first approvals worldwide for Covid-19 vaccines for the 2-18 age group,” said the company. “We now await further regulatory approvals from the CDSCO prior to product launch and market availability of Covaxin for Children.

    Raches Ella, clinic lead of Covid vaccines at the company, said in a tweet that Covaxin has been “reported to be safe and immunogenic” in a pediatric cohort and “the approval in children will help expedite the reopening of schools”.

    ALSO READ: India logs 14,313 fresh Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours; lowest since March

    When finally approved, Covaxin would be the second vaccine, after Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoVD to be permitted for under 18 population group in India.

    Though approved for adolescents aged 12-17 years in August by the DCGI, along with adults, ZyCoV D is still to be rolled out for any population group in the country.

    Sources in the drug regulatory body said that though the amount of Covaxin recommended for kids remains the same — 0.5 ml — as it is for adults and will also be administered in two doses — 28 days apart — there will be slight difference in the approach.

    “It has been suggested that for less than 18 population group, vaccines be supplied in pre-filled syringes, instead of vaccines being taken out of vials at the time of administration,” said an official.

    This, he explained, was recommended in order to ensure that exactly the specified quantity of vaccines are administered in kids as the higher quantity may have adverse effects on children, especially younger ones.

    It is said that in the last 24 hours, 65,86,092 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered. India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 95.89 crores, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

    ALSO READ | WHO panel recommends Covid vaccine booster shot for people with weak immunity

    As per provisional reports, till 7 am today, 95,89,78,049 vaccine doses have been administered so far through 93,66,392 sessions.

    Of the total, 1,03,75,424 health care workers received the first dose and 90,36,583 second vaccine doses; 1,83,59,259 front line workers were administered the first dose and 1,53,98,857 vaccine doses given as the second dose to front line workers.

    According to the health ministry, 38,68,20,261 vaccine doses were administered as the first dose and 10,40,73,546 vaccine doses were given as the second dose in the age group 18-44 years.

    Also, in the age group of 45-59 years, 16,61,56,424 people have received the first dose and 8,38,76,362 have received the second dose whereas 10,48,69,202 vaccine doses were administered as first dose and 6,00,12,131 vaccine doses given as the second dose to the people over 60 years.

    Meanwhile, 14,313 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, which is the lowest recorded daily new cases in 224 days.

    The recovery of 26,579 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,33,20,057.

  • Various states resorted to blackmailing during Covid crisis: Yogi Adityanath

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday alleged that various opposition-ruled states resorted to “blackmailing” during the Covid crisis, claiming shortage of medical oxygen.

    Speaking during a function at the IIT-Kanpur, he claimed that the demand for the life-saving gas “reduced to half” as soon as the Centre ordered an oxygen audit.

    “You must have seen that various states were shouting for oxygen. As soon as the Centre declared an audit of oxygen, their demand fell to half. They had resorted to political blackmailing during the crisis,”Adityanath alleged.

    Adityanath’s remarks came a day after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia likened the coal situation in the country to the shortage of oxygen during the coronavirus crisis.

    He alleged that the Centre is not ready to accept that there is a coal crisis. The UP CM during the programme also listed a number of achievements of his government.

    Adityanath said the 13 COVID-19 patients detected on Monday were those who have been to Maharashtra, Kerala or West Bengal.

  • Over 78 crore Covid vaccine doses provided to states, UTs: Government

    As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the government has been supporting the states and UTs by providing them Covid vaccines free of cost, it said.

  • 2+2 talks between India, Australia very productive: PM Modi

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held the 2+2 talks here with their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton.

  • Health ministry, ICMR have issued guidelines for ‘official document’ for Covid deaths: Centre to SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the health ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have come out with guidelines for issuing “official document” for Covid-related deaths.

    In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Centre also submitted that the Office of the Registrar General of India on September 3 had issued a circular to provide a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to the next of kin of the deceased.

    “It is submitted that the guidelines and circular have been issued in respectful compliance of the judgment dated June 30, 2021, in the Reepak Kansal v. Union of India and others, W.P.(C) No. 554 of 2021 and Gaurav Kumar Bansal v.Union of India and others, W.P.(C) No. 539 of 2021,” the court said.

    According to the guidelines, those COVID-19 cases would be considered which have been diagnosed through RT-PCR test, molecular test, rapid-antigen test or clinically determined through investigations at a hospital or in-patient facility by a treating physician, while admitted at the hospital or in-patient facility.

    Deaths occurring due to poisoning, suicide, homicide and deaths due to accident, among others, will not be considered as COVID-19 deaths even if COVID- 19 is an accompanying condition, the guidelines stated.

    “COVID-19 cases which are not resolved and have died either in hospital settings or at home, and where a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) in Form 4 and 4 A has been issued to the registering authority as required under Section 10 of the Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969, will be treated as a COVID-19 death”  according to the guidelines.

    The Registrar General of India will issue necessary guidelines to chief registrars of all states and union territories in this regard.

    According to an ICMR study, 95 per cent of deaths take place within 25 days of a person testing COVID-19 positive, it was mentioned in the guidelines.

    “To make the scope broader and more inclusive, deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing or from the date of being clinically determined as a COVID-19 case, will be treated as ‘deaths due to COVID-19, even if the death takes place outside the hospital/ in-patient facility,” the guidelines stated.

    However, a COVID-19 patient, while admitted at a hospital or in-patient facility, and who continued as the same admission beyond 30 days, and died subsequently, shall be treated as a COVID-19 death, according to the guidelines.

    The guidelines state that in cases where the MCCD is not available or the next of kin of the deceased is not satisfied with the cause of death given in the MCCD and which are not covered by the aforesaid scenarios, states and union territories shall notify a committee at the district level.

    The committee would consist of an additional district collector, the chief medical officer of health (CMOH), an additional CMOH/ principal or head of department of medicine of a medical college (if one exists in the district) and a subject expert, for issuing of the “Official Document for COVID-19 Death”, the guidelines said.

    The guidelines also enumerate the procedure to be followed by the committee. The next of kin of the deceased shall submit a petition to the district collector for issuing of the document, it said.

    “The Official Document for COVID-19 Death will be issued in the format annexed to these guidelines by the aforesaid district-level committee after due examination and verification of all facts. The Official Document for COVID-19 death shall also be communicated to chief registrars of states/UTs and Registrar of Birth and Death, who issued the death certificates,” one of the guidelines said.

    The committee will also examine the grievances of the next of kin of the deceased, and propose necessary remedial measures, including issuance of amended “Official Document for COVID-19 Death” after verifying facts in accordance with these guidelines.

    The applications for issuing the document and for redressal of grievances shall be disposed off within 30 days of submission of the application/ grievance.

    In its June 30 verdict, the top court had also ordered steps to simplify guidelines for issuance and correction of death certificates/official documents, stating the exact cause of death, that is, ‘Death due to COVID-19’ for enabling dependents to get benefits of welfare schemes.

    The top court’s verdict had come on two separate pleas filed by lawyers Reepak Kansal and Gaurav Kumar Bansal seeking directions to the Centre and the states to provide Rs 4 lakh compensation to the families of coronavirus victims as provisioned under the Act.

    Four intervenors, who had lost their family members due to COVID have also moved the top court through advocate Sumeer Sodhi contending that there cannot be any discrimination in the amounts being paid by different states to family members of those, who had succumbed to the deadly infection.

  • Nearly 73 crore vaccine doses administered in India so far, says Union Health Ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Nearly 73 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

    According to a provisional report, more than 56 lakh vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm on Friday.

    The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late in the night, the ministry said.

    The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the health ministry said.

    Amid the rise in cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Friday on the Covid situation and vaccination as the government noted high caseloads in states like Kerala and Maharashtra to say that there can be no room for complacency.

    Modi reviewed the status of augmentation of bed capacity for pediatric care and of facilities supported under “COVID Emergency Response Package II”, and it was noted that states have been advised to redesign and orient primary care and block-level health infrastructure in these areas to manage the situation in rural areas, a statement said.

    States are being asked to maintain a buffer stock for drugs used in the management of COVID-19, mucormycosis, MIS-C at the district level, it added.

    “It was discussed that across the world, there are countries where the number of active Covid cases continues to remain high. In India too, the figures from states like Maharashtra and Kerala indicate that there can be no room for complacency,” the statement said.

    However, the weekly positivity was at less than three per cent for the 10th consecutive week, it added.

  • 80 per cent kids in 14-18 yrs in India reported low levels of learning during Covid pandemic: UNICEF report

    In India, 42 per cent of children between 6-13 years reported not using any type of remote learning during school closures.

  • No scientific body suggests Covid vaccination of kids should be a condition to reopen schools: Government

    How and when it will be administered is being discussed by scientific bodies, Paul said, adding that the trial of Covaxin on children is nearing completion.

  • Over 14 lakh people get vaccine doses in Maharashtra, highest in single day

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Wednesday administered COVID-19 vaccine doses to 14,39,809 persons, highest in a single day, said a senior official.

    “It is the highest figure achieved by the state till now,” said Dr Pradeep Vyas, additional chief secretary of the Public Health department.

    A total of 6.55 crore vaccine doses have been administered in Maharashtra so far and 1,79,78,805 people are fully vaccinated (have received both doses), he said.

    On September 4 the state had administered 12,27,224 jabs, a record which was broken on Wednesday. As many as 48.46 per cent of those above 18 have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines in the state.

    In the 18-44 age group 37.88 per cent people have taken at least one dose, while in the above 45 age group 52.24 per cent people have received at least one dose.

  • Delhi government launches WhatsApp number to provide Covid info, locate vaccination centres, book slots

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Arvind Kejriwal government on Wednesday launched a new COVID-19 ‘WhatsApp Helpdesk Number’ which will help people in Delhi access credible information about the viral disease, locate nearest vaccination centres and book slots for receiving the jabs.

    Tele-consultation and information about oxygen cylinder refilling stations will also be available through the WhatsApp chatbot, according to a statement.

    It will be a single-window source of accurate, authentic and up-to-date information about Covid-related resources in Delhi. To avail it, all that a user has to do is send ‘Hi’ to +911122307145 on WhatsApp, it said.

    “We have built the tech solution of a WhatsApp chatbot to fortify our preparedness in view of an anticipated third wave (of Covid). “We have added some new features to this chatbot to aid citizens conveniently access credible information and resources related to COVID-19 besides helping them locate their nearest vaccine centres,” Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.

    The chatbot, built on an integrated solution of WhatsApp Business API, is integrated with the Cowin Portal and the Delhi government’s ‘COVID War Room’.

    People can find their nearest vaccination centre, available vaccine slots, hospital beds and oxygen refining centres through this chatbot.

    “Over the last year and a half, simple and intuitive technology like WhatsApp has played a pivotal role in helping India in its strife against the pandemic.

    “The Delhi government’s custom tech-solution of this WhatsApp-API Helpline chatbot will now supplement and accelerate the government’s pandemic relief efforts and equip the people of Delhi with credible information and resources related to COVID-19,” said Shivnath Thukral, the Public Policy Director of WhatsApp.