Coronavirus vaccine news highlights: Covaxin is not a back-up, its is a Covid-19 vaccine, says Bharat Biotech

Amid questions raised by industry experts and opposition parties on the emergency approval to its coronavirus vaccine Covaxin without publication of efficacy data, Bharat Biotech's chairman on Monday hit out at critics saying his firm had carried out "200 per cent honest clinical trials". Chairman Krishna Ella said they are setting up four vaccine manufacturing facilities with a combined capacity of 700 million doses per annum. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that he won't take Covid-19 shot now as he has to ensure priority groups are administered with the vaccine first. As India approved two Covid-19 vaccines on Sunday for restricted use, a huge controversy broke out regarding the nod given to Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s home-grown vaccine that was approved without any efficacy data, which is a violation of standard clinical practice. Meanwhile, globally, Britain began rolling out the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, a possible game-changer in fighting the disease worldwide, while China raced to inoculate millions with a domestically made jab.

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BioNTech says no data to support delayed vaccine booster shot

BioNTech and partner Pfizer warned on Monday that they had no evidence that their jointly developed vaccine will continue to protect against Covid-19 if the booster shot is given later than tested in trials.

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Health workers prepare a vaccination room inside a classroom of a school, which has been converted into a temporary Covid-19 vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, India, January 4, 2021. Credit: REUTERS

Practice Sister Tina Sutton (L) administers a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine to Pat Hier at the Pontcae Medical Practice in Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales on January 4, 2021. Credit: AFP Photo

India's Covid-19 vaccine export ban excludes Bangladesh: Minister

India’s proposed ban on the export of its COVID-19 vaccine will not be applicable for Bangladesh as New Delhi has assured Dhaka of supplying the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at an appropriate time, Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen said here on Monday.

India's drug regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Sunday approved Oxford Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, has tied up with AstraZeneca to manufacture Covishield while Covaxin has been indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Momen, addressing a press briefing here, said that the first consignment of the vaccine co-manufactured by India's SII is expected to reach Bangladesh towards the end of this month.

(PTI)

Private Brazilian clinics to buy Covid-19 vaccine from Bharat Biotech

Geraldo Barbosa, head of the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics (ABCVAC) who will lead a delegation to India departing on Monday, said a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with Bharat Biotech.

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Bharat Biotech hits outs at critics, says carried out '200% honest' trials of Covid vaccine

"We are not just conducting clinical trials in India. We have done clinical trials in more than 12 countries including the UK," he said. "Many people are just gossiping everything in a different direction to just backlash on Indian companies, that is not right for us. We don't deserve that."

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Never questioned experts, researchers over Covid-19 vaccine: Akhilesh Yadav

During press conference on January 4, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “We want to know when the poor will get the vaccine? I would like to ask BJP that how long will it take them to give vaccine to the poor and whether it will be free or not? I or the Samajwadi Party never questioned the experts, researchers or scientists. If there are suspicions or some doubts, it is government's responsibility to clarify.”

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had stated that he will not get vaccinated by Covid-19 vaccine because he doesn’t trust BJP's vaccine. His statement then, sparked controversy.

UK becomes world's first to roll out Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as cases surge

The UK on Monday began rolling out the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, becoming the first nation to inoculate people with the cheaper and easy-to-handle jab outside of trials. The Oxford vaccine, which also has a tie-up with the Serum Institute of India, was first administered to Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old Oxford-born dialysis patient.

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Bharat Biotech setting up 4 vaccine manufacturing facilities

Bharat Biotech, which has been accorded Emergency Use Authorisation from the drug regulator for its Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, on Monday said they are setting up four vaccine manufacturing facilities with a combined capacity of 700 million doses per annum.

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Know the answers to the most frequently asked questions related to Covid-19 Vaccination from Director of AIIMS Delhi, Dr. Randeep Guleria. Watch to know more!

We will roll out the vaccine as early as possible. Batches have been sent to Kasauli govt testing lab already: Bharat Biotech MD Krishna Ella

Good pre-clinical trial data is available on Covaxin: Bharat Biotech MD Krishna Ella

"In 2019, CDCSO formed a notification, I request you to read the guidelines... it clearly states that if yours is a proven platform technology, safe platform technology & good pre-clinical trial data is available then you can get emergency license for the product," Bharat Biotech

It is a vaccine. It is not a backup. People should be responsible before making such statements: Bharat Biotech MD Krishna Ella on comments that Covaxin is a 'back-up vaccine'

Currently, we have 20 million doses. We are aiming to achieve 700 million doses capacity in four facilities -- three in Hyderabad and one in Bengaluru. We are encountering so many problems including related to logistics: Bharat Biotech MD Krishna Ella

In the beginning, the cost of vaccine may be a little higher. As the scale of production increases, the price will be controlled by market: Bharat Biotech MD Krishna Ella

No placebo. We keep vaccinating people at an open level & then monitor the safety & efficacy. That is what it means in our project mode method in emergency licence: Bharat Biotech MD explaining meaning of the phrase "restricted use in emergency situation

Give me one week’s time, I will give you confirm data: Bharat Biotech MD Krishna Ella on being asked 'if COVAXIN will be effective on the new virus strain'.

Experts question govt's claim of Covaxin efficacy against new coronavirus strains

Noted virologist Shahid Jameel said he does not believe that eventually Covaxin would turn out to be safe and show more than 70 per cent efficacy.

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OPINION | India’s Covid-19 vaccine nationalism is a global risk

"The country’s virus-battered economy and its overstretched health systems are also yearning for a reprieve. It will be dangerous to allow political calculations to enter the equation and shake people’s confidence in what’s being offered to them — and on what basis," says Andy Mukherjee.

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Those doubting vaccine efficacy mentally challenged: Pradhan

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday termed as mentally challenged those opposing the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines made in India.

Pradhan's remarks came after some Congress leaders raised doubts on the restricted use approval granted to Bharat Biotechs vaccine while its third phase trial is still underway.

"Those who have mand buddhi (are mentally challenged) and those who don't have faith in the scientists and power of India are making such baseless statements," Pradhan said.

"These vaccines are a special achievement of Indian companies and our scientists. People have welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative. Some mentally challenged people will never improve, especially the leadership of the Congress, which finds fault in everything," Pradhan said.

(PTI)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) reacts as he has his temperature checked during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) reacts as he has his temperature checked during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London on January 4, 2021, the day that Britain's NHS (National Health Service) ramps up its vaccination programme with the rollout of the newly approved AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine jab.

Britain starts its mass rollout of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine vaccine on Monday, with 530,000 doses ready for immediate use and the government hoping for "tens of millions" within three months. Britain has ordered 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine.

Credit: AFP Photo

Britain begins inoculating its citizens with the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine against COVID-19 giving the shot to Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old dialysis patient, at a hospital in Oxford: Reuters

UK gives first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to dialysis patient

Britain began inoculating its citizens with the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine against Covid-19 on Monday, giving the shot to Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old dialysis patient, at a hospital a few hundred metres away from where the vaccine was developed.

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Will take Covid-19 vaccine after priority groups are inoculated: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

"All types of arrangements have been made. I have decided not to get vaccinatedfor now. First, we will ensure that the priority groups get vaccinated and later I will go for vaccination," the CM tweeted while sharing details of his address during the meeting.

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Beijing vaccinates thousands in Covid-19 jab drive

Thousands of people lined up in Beijing Monday to receive a Covid-19 vaccine as China races to innoculate millions before the Chinese New Year mass travel season in February.

More than 73,000 people in the Chinese capital have received the first dose of the vaccine over the last couple of days, state media reported Sunday, including community workers and bus drivers.

Health authorities on New Year's Eve granted "conditional" approval to a vaccine candidate made by Chinese pharma giant Sinopharm, which the company said had a 79 percent efficacy rate. (AFP)

Enough stockpile vaccine for inoculation of priority groups in first phase: V K Paul

India has enough stockpile of the Covid-19 vaccine for inoculation of priority groups, including healthcare workers and frontline workers, in the first phase, Niti Aayog member VK Paul said on Monday.

Paul, who is also the Chairman of the National Expert Group On Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) further said the government will soon announce its plans for the purchase and distribution of Covid-19 vaccine.

"Our first phase (of vaccination) comprises priority groups with a high risk of mortality and our healthcare and frontline workers. For them, we believe, we have enough (Covid-19 vaccine) stockpile," he told PTI in an interview.

UK rolls out AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine

Britain began vaccinating its population with the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, becoming the first country to roll out the shot, Reuters reported. The UK, which is vaccinating faster than the US and Europe, was also the first to start vaccinations with the Pfizer-BioNTech shot last month.

The vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, is seen as a game-changer by many experts because it does not require very cold temperatures for storage like the ones from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

That could mean greater access to the vaccine for less wealthy parts of the world in the fight against the coronavirus, which has infected nearly 85 million people with more than 1.8 million known deaths.

Japan PM says Covid-19 vaccine approval being speeded up

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says vaccine approval is being speeded up to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and he promised to consider declaring a state of emergency.

Tokyo GovernorYuriko Koike and the governors of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa had asked the national government Saturday to declare the emergency after the capital saw a daily record of 1,337 cases on New Year's Eve.

Suga said vaccine approval is now expected this month instead of February. Vaccinations are expected to begin next month. (PTI)

"I have decided that I will not get vaccinated, for now, first it should be administered to others. My turn should come afterwards, we have to work to ensure that priority groups are administered with the vaccine," saysMadhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

World's biggest Covid-19 vaccination programme set to begin in India, country proud of its scientists, says PM Modi.

The Indian scientists have been successful in coming up with two 'Made in India' Covid-19 vaccines. The country is proud of its scientists, saysPrime Minister Narendra Modi during the inaugural address at National Metrology Conclave.

How to register for Covid-19 vaccine in India?

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Sunday approved Oxford Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.

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US mulls half-doses of Moderna’s vaccine to give more people some immunity

A top official of Operation Warp Speed floated a new idea Sunday for stretching the limited number of Covid-19 vaccine doses in the United States: halving the dose of each shot of Moderna’s vaccine to potentially double the number of people who could receive it.

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India records 16,505 new Covid-19 cases, 214 deaths in a day

India reports 16,505 new Covid-19 cases, 19,557 recoveries, and 214 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry. Total cases stand at1,03,40,470, while active cases are at2,43,953. Total recoveries stand at 99,46,867, while the death toll is at1,49,649.

Jingoism is no substitute for common sense, says Shashi Tharoor on Covaxin's approval

DH Toon | A vaccine to brave all political storms

UK-strain is a whole virus...India-made vaccines target all the proteins on the surface of the virus, not just one S-GEN protein that has mutated. Therefore those vaccines that are targeting just the 'SGEN' may not work as well. But that is still scientific conjecture, saysDG, ICMR.

Bharat Biotech vaccine more likely to work against newer strains like UK variant: Harsh Vardhan

Covaxin has been indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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Vaccines got approval after critical analysis by experts: AIIMS Director

AIIMS Delhi Director, Dr Randeep Guleria said vaccines got approval after critical analysis by experts. “It's important to understand that when we consider any vaccine, safety is paramount and therefore vaccine goes through various stages to make sure it's safe, and then only we come to human trials. All data is critically looked at by experts after which vaccine is approved,” said Dr Randeep Guleria.

Approval of Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine criticised over lack of data

“After adequate examination, the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation has decided to accept the recommendations of the expert committee and accordingly, vaccines of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech are being approved for restricted use in emergency situations and permission is being granted,” Somani said. The ongoing clinical trial for both vaccines would continue.

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Good morning readers, as India approved two Covid-19 vaccines on Sunday for a restricted commercial rollout, a huge controversy broke out on the permission accorded to Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s home-grown vaccine that was given the nod without any efficacy data in violation of standard clinical practice. While there was no such issue with the other vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute, Drugs Controller General of India's V G Somani did not specify what are the conditions with which the Serum vaccine (Covishield) was allowed for “restricted use in emergency situation”. Stay tuned for live updates.