News Analysis India

Tag: vaccination

  • Centre should clear its stand on vaccine pricing, says Bhupesh Baghel

    Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel asked the Centre on Thursday if it will provide Covid-19 vaccines free of cost, demanding clarity on the immunisation funding strategy at a time when the race for vaccines has entered the last lap and focus is shifting to regulatory approval and distribution logistics.

    Speaking at the 18th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Baghel also criticised Congress leaders such as Kapil Sibal and Ghulam Nabi Azad for publicly attacking the party, and suggested that grievances should be laid out in the party’s internal forum.

    Baghel, a five-time Congress legislator who swept to power in December 2018 with a two-thirds majority, referred to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) manifesto promise in Bihar of free vaccines and asked if the poll pledge hinted that the onus of funding immunisation would be on the states.

    “The Centre should clarify if it will make the vaccine free. How much will the states pay? How much will the Centre pay? How much subsidy will the Centre give?” he asked.

    He pointed out that his state was doing its bit to keep the economy running and following central guidelines on vaccine and distribution strategy, but added that central ministers should be asked if the Union government planned to subsidise the vaccine.

    “Does the Bihar election promise mean that the Centre won’t spend money and only issue guidelines? We will do our best but the Centre should clarify if it will provide states with the vaccine for free. If we have to spend money, then why should we follow central guidelines and not make our own guidelines?”

  • To give corona vaccine to 30 crores, elections like polling booths will become ‘vaccine booths’

    300 million people of the country have been placed in high risk group. The central government’s plan is to give Kovid vaccine to the people of this group first. States have been asked to include frontline workers as a priority in the vaccine of coronavirus. They should be vaccinated on the basis of this.

    It says that in the same way the polling booths are set up to cast votes in an election, in the same way a team of people who are vaccinated should be formed by creating a vaccine center. In every state, preparation should be done by making this strategy according to the block level. Paul said that government and private doctors would have a big responsibility to deliver the coronavirus vaccine to the common people. Efforts are being made by the Central Government to run a large-scale vaccination campaign in the country with the help of people’s participation and training.

  • Will follow scientific advice on time and choice of vaccine: PM Modi

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India would go by scientific advice in deciding which Covid-19 vaccine to use, emphasising that “safety is as important as speed” even as he said it was a national commitment to provide the shots to all citizens.
    Asked during a virtual interaction with chief ministers as to when the vaccine would be available, Modi said this was the task of the scientific community and the regulators and not for him to comment on. He noted that participants in Tuesday’s discussions were political leaders and added some people would do politics and this was not something he could stop.

    The comments were read in the context of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand the PM should reveal which vaccine India would use. Official sources, though, said the PM was underlining that such decisions would be taken on the basis of expert advice. His interaction with the CMs was cordial and productive, the souces added.

    Modi assured states the vaccination strategy and the initial rollout would be finalised in consultation with them and said it had not been decided as to which vaccine would be available at what price. “Though two India-based vaccines are at the forefront, we’re working with global firms also,” he said, adding that adverse reactions were seen in drugs available for 20 years and more and so a decision needed to be taken on scientific basis.


    “Safety is as important as speed for us. Whichever vaccine India will give to its citizens will be safe on all scientific criteria,” Modi said while reviewing the Covid-19 situation. He met chief ministers in two batches, with a separate discussion with CMs of eight worst affected states.


    India is looking at the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine candidate which has almost completed Phase 3 trials in India and has Pune-based Serum Institute as a major manufacturing partner. Oxford University said on Monday that the vaccine candidate prevented 70% people from the infection in a large trial and it was set to initiate talks with regulators across the world to start supplies.
    There is also a locally developed vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech and ICMR which too has shown promise during clinical trials and is currently undergoing phase 3 human trials.

  • Vaccination preparations for Kovid 19 vaccine in state

    Preparations for Kovid-19 vaccination have been started in the state. 97.95 percent data of health workers in the state has been collected. 27931 sites and 8192 vaccinators have been identified for vaccination.

    Health Department officials said that 630 cold chain points are functioning in the state for safe maintenance of vaccine and 80 new cold chain points are being constructed. There is an additional capacity of 85000 liters for safe maintenance. To increase the number of vaccinators, male health workers are also being trained and vaccines of private health institutions will also be identified and trained. Dry stores have been identified at the state, regional and district levels for maintenance of syringes and other materials related to vaccination.

    A state level steering committee has been constituted for complete monitoring and coordination of vaccination. State level task force committee has also met. Task force committee meetings are also being held in various districts.

  • CM Yogi tweeted Gopashtami, wishing, “Come, let’s take the vow of Go-Seva and Go-Raksha”

    In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a tweet wishing the countrymen on Gopashtami. In this tweet, CM Yogi appealed to the people to take a pledge to protect cow services and protect them. He has written that, “Gomata, venerable since time immemorial, is the foundation of life and livelihood and the foster of the entire creation. Gomata is a factor for spiritual and cultural elevation. Come, take the pledge of Gopalan, Go-Seva and Go-Raksha on this Gopashtami. Best wishes to all the countrymen of the holy Gopashtami festival. ” Let us know that earlier on 21 November, CM Yogi had informed through a tweet that, “On the occasion of Gopashtami, protected cow dynasty will be vaccinated at all cow shelters sites related to Khorpka-mouthpak diseases. For the malnutrition of malnourished families, ‘Ma. Cows will be made available from cow shelter sites under the Chief Minister’s Dissident / Destitute Gowansha Partnership Scheme. “

  • PM Modi meets to review India’s Kovid-19 vaccination strategy

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met to review India’s Covid-19 vaccination strategy, including technical platforms and population groups to deliver vaccines for coronavirus to the needy. Issues such as prioritizing were discussed.

    Modi tweeted that the meeting discussed important issues related to the progress of vaccine development, regulatory approvals and procurement.

    “A number of issues were reviewed, such as prioritizing population groups, access to health care workers, strengthening the cold house infrastructure, increasing the number of vaccinated people and technology platforms to deliver vaccines to the needy.”

  • Sputnik V 92% effective against coronavirus, claims Russia

    Russia on Wednesday said that its vaccine Sputnik V is 92 per cent effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to the first interim analysis.

    “The Sputnik V vaccine efficacy amounted to 92 per cent (calculation based on the 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo),” the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement read. Currently, Sputnik V phase III clinical trials are approved and are undergoing in Belarus, the UAE, Venezuela and other countries. In India, phase II-III trails of the vaccine are underway.

    Currently, 40,000 volunteers are taking part in double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled Phase III of Sputnik V clinical trials, out of which over 20,000 have been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine and more than 16,000 with both the first and second doses of the vaccine.

    Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said: “The use of the vaccine and the results of clinical trials demonstrate that it is an efficient solution to stop the spread of coronavirus infection, a preventive healthcare tool, and this is the most successful path to defeat the pandemic.”

    The efficacy was demonstrated on the basis of a first interim analysis obtained 21 days after the first injection. There were no unexpected adverse events during the trials and monitoring of the participants is ongoing.

    The announcement by Russia comes days after drug giant American Pfizer announced that its coronavirus vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective at protecting people from infection as compared to placebo saline shot, as per an analysis.

    Russia became the first country to register the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine on August 11. Sputnik V was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry.

    The company said that the Gamaleya Centre team will publish the interim research data in one of the leading international peer-reviewed medical journals.

  • BCG vaccine can be effective in corona, positive results in elderly

    According to ICMR, its effect is being seen most among the elderly. Scientists are now engaged in T cells, B cells, white blood cell and dendritic cell immunity tests to detect the effect of BCG vaccination.

    Significantly, the most impact of corona has been seen in the elderly above 60 years. Examination of corona has revealed that elderly people who have a serious disease like comorbidities have a higher risk of death from corona. The BCG vaccine is proving to be very effective in treating such elderly people. It may be noted that the BCG vaccine is administered to newborns under the universal immunization program of the central government.

    Indian Council of Medical Research informed that during research, it has been found that the BCG vaccine changes the memory cells of the elderly and produces antibodies in the body. So far this vaccine has been used on 54 people. It is said that vaccine was given to 54 people out of 86 people while 32 people were not given it.

    Investigations have shown that antibodies have been rapidly formed in those who were given BCG vaccine and such elderly people are feeling healthy. However, the investigation of BCG vaccine is still going on. Earlier research has shown that BCG vaccination in Indonesia, Japan and Europe has protected the elderly from respiratory diseases.