News Analysis India

Tag: Vaccine

  • Over 175.33 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in country

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 175.33 crore on Saturday, the Union health ministry said.

    More than 27 lakh (27,47,926) vaccine doses were administered till 7 pm. The ministry also said that over 1.89 crore (1,89,07,829) precaution doses have been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities.

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

    The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2.

    The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.

    The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.

    India began administering precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine to HCWs and FLWs, including personnel deployed for election duty and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10, amid the country witnessing a spike in coronavirus infections fuelled by Omicron variant of the virus.

  • Over 32,000 candidates to appear for 9,017 vacancies in Assam Police

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Over 32,000 candidates will appear in the written examination for appointment in more than 9,000 vacancies in Assam Police, examinations for which are slated for Sunday.

    The examination is being conducted with a revised list of eligible candidates to ensure 1:5 ratio against each post.

    A total of 32,720 candidates will be taking the examination for 9,017 constable posts which will be held at 76 centres in eight districts, an Assam Police spokesperson said.

    Director General of Police Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta said all arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of the examination.

    The State Level Police Recruitment Board (SLPRB), headed by the DGP, is conducting the examination.

    The number of eligible candidates was revised upwards after the first list did not meet the requisite criterion of calling candidates in the 1:5 ratio against each post.

    The SLPRB had said in a statement that many candidates had cleared the cut off in more than one category of posts, indicating that it was the reason for the ratio falling below the announced ratio, and decided to call additional eligible candidates to take the examination.

    The first advertisement for the posts had appeared on April 25, 2018, with addendum on December 19, 2019, and advertisements appeared on various dates later also.

    The Board had on January 19 this year issued a notice announcing the results of Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test and asked the candidates to check their status on the website and asked the qualified candidates to apply online for the common written test on their website.

    A total of 1,80,622 candidates had applied for 9,071 posts of various types of constables such as armed, unarmed, home guards, former militants, radio communications and fire and emergency services.

  • Cumulative Covid vaccine doses administered in India crosses 174.99 crore

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 174.99 crore on Friday, the Union Health Ministry said. Over 32 lakh (32,92,516) vaccine doses have been administered on Friday till 7 pm.

    More than 1.86 crore precaution doses have been administered to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities.

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

    The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase.

    The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1 for people over 60 years and those aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions.

    The country launched vaccination for people aged over 45 years on April 1. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

    The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination has commenced from January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.

    India began administering precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities on January 10.

  • Oscar 2022 ceremony: Attendees not required to provide COVID-19 vaccination proof

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: After a 2021 ceremony that saw the Academy Awards downsize to a smaller gathering at Los Angeles’ Union Station, the Oscars will return to its traditional setting and also will not require in-person attendees to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

    According to Variety, the Oscars will return to its traditional setting in the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard for its upcoming ceremony on March 27. It is not yet known if the audience size might be reduced this year.

    Amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, the 2021 ceremony featured strict COVID-19 testing and masking policies for in-person attendees, in accordance with health and safety protocols. Since then, vaccines against the virus have become widely available to the general public.

    This year, although the Academy will suggest attendees to be vaccinated, the 2022 Oscars ceremony will also require attendees to be tested prior to attending, with unvaccinated guests having additional and more stringent testing requirements, Variety has learned.

    Under this rule, the Academy is technically complying with Los Angeles County’s policy on “indoor mega-events,” which require either full vaccination status or day-of negative COVID-19 tests to all attendees ages 2 and older.

    ALSO READ: ‘Ant-Man’ star Evangeline Lilly opposes US vaccine mandates: I’m pro-choice

    The Academy has yet to release an official COVID-19 policy for its upcoming ceremony. Reports indicate that the Academy may have elected to take a less strict position on vaccination status as a no-entry policy could have prevented some unvaccinated nominees or presenters from attending the ceremony.

    However, other awards events this season, such as the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Association, are still requiring attendees to provide proof of vaccination for their ceremonies.

    L.A. County has still not lifted its indoor mask mandate.

    Variety informed that on Tuesday, public health director Barbara Ferrer indicated barring extremely low case levels, the earliest time that masks requirements would likely be reversed is late April; that means after the ’27 March 2022′ Academy Awards’ ceremony date. 

  • Govt panel recommends emergency use authorisation for single-dose Covid jab Sputnik Light 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: An expert panel of India’s central drug authority on Friday recommended granting restricted emergency use authorisation (EUA) to single-dose COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik Light subject to various regulatory provisions, official sources said.

    Sputnik Light is the same as component-1 of Sputnik V.

    According to an official source, in light of the recommendations made during an SEC meeting on January 31, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories presented its proposal for grant of permission to import Sputnik Light for a restricted use in an emergency situation and booster-dose vaccination, along with the analysis of the latest safety and efficacy data, including its benefits against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

    The firm said the Sputnik Light vaccine is approved in 29 countries, including Argentina, Russia etc.

    “The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), which deliberated on the application by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, noted that the safety and immunogenicity data presented by the firm from the Indian study is comparable with that of the ongoing phase-3 clinical trial interim data from Russia,” the source said.

    The interim data of the efficacy trial from Russia has shown an efficacy of 65.4 per cent against COVID-19, 21 days after immunisation.

    “After detailed deliberations, the SEC recommended for grant of permission for a restricted use in an emergency situation, subject to various regulatory provisions,” the source said.

    The recommendations have been sent to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the final approval.

    “With regard to the use of the Sputnik Light vaccine as a booster dose, the applicant may provide clinical data, including immunogenicity data in the Indian population, for further evaluation,” the source said.

    According to some of the conditions for granting EUA, the vaccine is indicated for active immunisation to prevent COVID-19 in individuals aged above 18 years and the firm should submit the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity data from the ongoing clinical trials in India and Russia for a review as and when available.

    The firm should submit the safety data, including the data on AEFI and AESI, with due analysis every 15 days for the first two months and monthly thereafter till the completion of the ongoing clinical trial in the country.

    Thereafter, the firm should submit the safety data in accordance with the provisions and standard procedures. On July 1 last year, India’s drug regulator had refused to grant EUA to Sputnik Light.

  • Centre extends work from home for 50% staffers below level of Under Secretary till Feb 15

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday extended work from home arrangement for 50 per cent of its employees below the level of Under Secretary till February 15, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

    Persons with disabilities and pregnant women employees would continue to be exempted from attending offices.

    The Personnel Ministry had on January 3 issued an order allowing work from home 50 per cent of employees below the level of Under Secretary till January 31, because of the rise in Covid cases.

    In an order issued on Monday extending the arrangements till February 15, it said Central government officers and staffers will have to follow staggered timing — 9 am to 5.30 pm and 10 am to 6.30 pm — to avoid overcrowding in offices.

    “Physical attendance of government servants below the level of Under Secretary shall be restricted to 50 per cent of the actual strength and the remaining 50 per cent shall work from home. A roster may be prepared accordingly by all the departments concerned,” it had said.

    All officers of the level of Under Secretary and above are to attend office regularly, the order stated.

    Personnel Ministry also extended the suspension of biometric attendance for the employees till February 15. It had earlier this month suspended the marking of biometric attendance for all its employees till January 31, as a precautionary measure to check the spread of Covid.

  • Vaccination for 12-14 age group likely from March, says top government expert

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India may begin inoculating children in the 12-14 age group against COVID-19 in March as the 15-18 population is likely to get fully vaccinated by then, Dr N K Arora, chairman of the COVID-19 working group of NTAGI, said on Monday.

    Of the estimated 7.4 crore (7,40,57,000) population in the 15-18 age bracket, over 3.45 crore have received the first dose of Covaxin so far and their second dose is due in 28 days, he said.

    “Adolescents in this age group have been actively participating in the inoculation process, and going by this pace of vaccination, the rest of the beneficiaries in the 15-18 age group are likely to be covered with the first dose by January-end and subsequently their second dose is expected to be done by February-end,” said the Chairman of the Covid working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).

    Once the 15-18 age group is covered, he said, the government is likely to take a policy decision for initiating the vaccination drive for the 12-14 age group in March, he said.

    According to him, there is an estimated 7.5 crore population in the 12-14 age group.

    Provisional vaccination reports till 7 am on Monday showed that with more than 39 lakh doses being administered in a span of 24 hours, the cumulative number has exceeded 157.20 crore doses.

    According to government data, over 3.45 crore first doses have been given to children in the 15-18 years age group so far.

    The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2, 2021.

    The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 last year for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

    The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1, 2021.

    The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

    The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination has commenced from January 3 this year for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.

    India began administering the ‘precaution dose’ — a third jab of COVID-19 vaccine — to healthcare, frontline workers including personnel deployed for election duty and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10 amid the country witnessing a spike in coronavirus infections, driven mainly by the Omicron variant of the virus.

  • COVID-19: Over 55 per cent of India’s adult population fully vaccinated now

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Over 55 per cent of India’s adult population has received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.

    According to Health Ministry officials, 55.52 per cent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated with 87 per cent people receiving the first dose of the vaccine.

    In a tweet, Mandaviya said that with over 55 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated now, India has achieved another milestone in its fight against Covid.

    PM Narendra Modii’s ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign has further strengthened the nation’s collective fight against COVID-19.

    With the administration of 66,98,601 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 133.88 crore, according to provisional reports till 7 am. This has been achieved through 1,40,27,706 sessions, the ministry said.

  • Over 123 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in India so far: Health Ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 123 crore on Monday, the Union Health Ministry said. On Monday, more than 70 lakh (70,85,126) vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm.

    The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of final reports for the day by late night, the ministry said. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase.

    The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

    The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

  • Cumulative COVID-19 vaccine coverage crosses 122 crore: Government

    The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase.