Coronavirus vaccine news highlights: Clinical trials show vaccine effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19, says AstraZeneca

Another dry run for the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out was held at the Hindu Rao Hospital and a few other civic facilities in the city on Wednesday, officials said. In an inexplicable U-turn, a regulatory expert panel has changed its opinion on Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine from a product that needs “updated immunogenicity, safety and efficacy data for further consideration” to “a vaccine that has been found safe and effective” within four days. The move comes after Covaxin's approval was criticised due to lack of trials data. Globally, Europe's drug regulator gave the green light to Moderna Inc's Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, the second shot it has approved, as authorities accelerate inoculation efforts amid fears about more infectious variants of the coronavirus. Stay tuned for live updates.

Ahead of innoculation campaign, Centre to conduct another Covid-19 vaccine dry run on January 8

This would be the second large-scale dry run of the vaccination campaign in January, which comes close on the heels of a similar exercise at 286 districts in 125 districts on January 2.

Read more

UK rejects Australian, Belgian attacks on vaccine rollout

Britain on Wednesday pushed back after leaders in Australia and Belgium, under pressure for their slow rollout of coronavirus vaccinations, said it was rushing its world-first inoculation drive.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said health authorities were clear that approvals of two vaccines followed rigorous trials.

"No corners have been cut whatsoever... both are safe and effective," the spokesman told reporters. "The public should have confidence in them and take them when asked."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said he would not take "unnecessary risks" with swift vaccine approvals.

(AFP)

Emergency approval in India to help supply Covid-19 vaccine across the globe: AstraZeneca

The company has partnered with the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, for the supply of the vaccine to the Indian government and also to a large number of low and middle-income countries.

Read more

Nurse first in the Netherlands to get Covid-19 vaccination

A Dutch nurse on Wednesday became the first person in the Netherlands to receive a Covid-19 shot as the European Union's last vaccination programme for the new coronavirus began after a late start.

Read more

EU watchdog gives green light for Moderna Covid-19 vaccine

The vaccine is the second to be authorised by the European Medicines Agency for the 27-nation bloc after Pfizer-BioNTech's got the green light in late December.

Read more

Slow vaccine rollout stokes tensions among EU states

Frustration over the slow rollout of Covid-19 vaccines has sparked tensions within the European Union, echoing disarray within the bloc at the beginning of the pandemic over sharing of protective medical equipment and the closure of borders.

There are concerns that a separate order of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shots Germany made for itself could cut into supplies for bloc-wide distribution, and a spat has erupted over contracts awarded for "French" and "German" vaccines.

European Council President Charles Michel, who represents the 27 EU member states' governments, said late on Tuesday he would call a video-conference summit before the end of January to discuss the "tremendous" vaccination challenge they face.

(Reuters)

Vaccine was shown in clinical trials to be safe and effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19: AstraZeneca

Prior to COVID19 vaccine roll out across India, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to meet Health Ministers of all the states/ UTs tomorrow (January 7).

Cutis Biotech filed a suit against SII over for using Covidshield name for their vaccine

Cutis Biotech, a Nanded based pharmaceutical company has filed a suit against Serum Institute of India in Pune commercial court for using Covidshield name for their vaccine developed for COVID-19.

Cutis Biotech claimed that they've already applied for trademark registration of the name 'Covidshield' for their products in April 2020. The company has already manufactured multiple products with the given name and has sold them in market.

Ahead of vaccine roll out, second dry run to take place on January 8 in all districts of the country.

EU watchdog gives green light for second Covid jab

The EU's medicines watchdog approved a coronavirus jab by US firm Moderna on Wednesday, giving a shot in the arm for Europe's slow-moving vaccine roll-out.

The vaccine is the second to be authorised by the European Medicines Agency for the 27-nation bloc after Pfizer-BioNTech's got the green light in late December.

The Moderna approval comes as criticism mounts of the EU's sluggish start to its vaccination campaign, which is lagging behind the United States, Britain and Israel.

"This vaccine provides us with another tool to overcome the current emergency," EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke said in a statement.

"It is a testament to the efforts and commitment of all involved that we have this second positive vaccine recommendation just short of a year since the pandemic was declared by WHO," she added.

(AFP)

UK PM Johnson says no reason to think any new strain of Coronavirus is vaccine resistant

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing street for the Houses of Parliament to give a statement on England's national lockdown in London on January 6, 2021. Credit: AFP Photo

Some apps named 'CoWIN' apparently created by unscrupulous elements: MoHFW

"Some apps named 'CoWIN' apparently created by unscrupulous elements to sound similar to upcoming official platform of Govt, are on App stores. Don't download or share personal information on these. Dept official platform will be adequately publicised on its launch," the Health Ministry said.

Russia inoculates 1 million people against Covid-19

Russia has inoculated one million people against Covid-19 with its Sputnik V vaccine, according to a statement on the Sputnik V Twitter account on Wednesday.

Russia, which has the world's fourth highest number of Covid-19 cases, started large-scale vaccinations last month.

No new adverse reactions have been reported, RIA news agency quoted Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Institute which developed the vaccine, as saying.

(Reuters)

We've prepared all cold chain points to receive Covid-19 vaccine: Vaccine in-charge, Odisha

"We've prepared all cold chain points to receive Covid-19 vaccine and have identified session sites. We're ready to conduct vaccination. We've prepared database & will vaccinate 3.28 lakh healthcare workers in first phase," Dr Bijay Panigrahi, Health Director & vaccine in-charge, Odisha.

A man is vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while sitting in his car, as Israel continues its national vaccination campaign amid a third COVID-19 lockdown, at a drive-through vaccination centre in Haifa, Israel Jan 6. Credit: REUTERS

Strategy to reopen schools to depend on how early COVID vaccine is available for public after frontline workers are vaccinated: Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia. (PTI)

India looking at post-Covid cooperation with Sri Lanka: Jaishankar

Asserting that the coronavirus pandemic has not been able to dent the bilateral relationship between India and Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that the two countries are now looking at post-COVID cooperation.

Speaking at a joint media briefing with his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena, Jaishankar said the Covid-19 pandemic has given the two sides an opportunity to collaborate even further.

"It (Covid) hasn't been able to dent our bilateral cooperation. In fact, high level contacts were maintained and indeed strengthened during the past year and the virtual summit between our prime ministers was the watermark of our relationship in 2020," he said.

Jaishankar is visiting Colombo over three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa held the virtual summit in September during which the two sides agreed to further expand ties in a range of areas such as anti-terror cooperation, maritime security and trade and investment.

"We are now looking at post-Covid cooperation and I carry back with me Sri Lanka’s interest in accessing vaccines from India," said Jaishankar, who is here on a three-day visit - his first foreign trip of the year. This is also the first by a foreign dignitary to Sri Lanka in the new year.

(PTI)

Over 1 million people in Russia have now been vaccinated with Sputnik V: Statement

Study to see if Moderna Covid-19 vaccine dosage can be halved to take 2 months

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc may take about two months to determine whether doses of the company's Covid-19 vaccine can be halved to double the supply of the shots in the US, according to the agency.

The news comes as the country grapples with a surge in cases, with the number of vaccinations falling far short of early targets.

Read more

Nurse first in Netherlands to get Covid-19 vaccination

A Dutch nurse on Wednesday became the first person in the Netherlands to receive a COVID-19 shot as one of Europe's last vaccination programmes for the new coronavirus got underway after a late start. (Reuters)

Delays over pricing holds back India’s vital Covid-19 vaccine rollout

As major countries like the US and China race to vaccinate their populations with rapidly approved shots, tens of millions of doses prepared for India are sitting in storage despite having been authorized for use.

Read more

NIMHANS study could serve as benchmark for existing Covid-19 lineages, genomes: Expert

Researchers from Karnataka used a combination of contact tracing and genomic epidemiology to trace the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the state up until May 21, 2020, via 1,578 Covid-19 cases.

They obtained 91 genomes of SARS-CoV-2 which clustered into seven lineages. These findings were published on December 17 and are significant especially in the context of a new strain of the virus emerging in the UK.

Read more

In just four days, CDSCO changes stance on Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, says it's safe and effective

On Dec 30, the firm presented updated recruitment status and safety data including serious adverse effect data of the ongoing phase III clinical trial before the panel comprising experts from pulmonology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, paediatrics, internal medicine and other related fields.

"After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended that firm (Bharat Biotech) should update and present immunogenicity, safety and efficacy data for further consideration,” noted the subject expert committee constituted by the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation, India’s drug regulator.

Read more

BJP demands free Covid-19 vaccine in Maharashtra

Mounting pressure on the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the opposition BJP on Tuesday demanded free vaccination for every resident of Maharashtra.

BJP MLA and spokesperson Ram Kadam has shot off a letter to Thackeray and state’s public health and family welfare minister Rajesh Tope in this regard.

Read more

Centre has not banned export of any Covid-19 vaccine: Union health secretary

The Union government has not banned the export of any Covid-19 vaccine that has been granted restricted emergency use approval by the drug regulator, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, while urging the media to guard against the spread of such misinformation.

Telangana has acquired capacity to inoculate entire eligible population for Covid-19 in one month: Official

The Telangana government has put in place arrangements, including storage, for the Covid-19 vaccines and can administer the shot to about three core eligible population in the state over a period of one month, a health department official said on Tuesday.

About 10 lakh people can be vaccinated in the state per day, he said, two days after the country's drug regulator gave approval for restricted emergency use of Oxford's Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and Covaxin of Bharat Biotech here.

The state government has created the capacity to store at least three crore vaccine doses -- 1.5 crore doses at the state vaccination centre and another 1.5 crore at ten other places, he told PTI.

Good morning readers, in an inexplicable U-turn, a regulatory expert panel has changed its opinion on Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine from a product that needs “updated immunogenicity, safety and efficacy data for further consideration” to “a vaccine that has been found safe and effective” within four days. The move comes after Covaxin's approval was criticised due to lack of trials data. Stay tuned for live updates.