Coronavirus vaccine news highlights: Dr Reddy’s submits Phase-II safety data of Sputnik V to DCGI, seeks approval for Phase-III trials

The Centre has signed a purchase order with Pune-based vaccine producer Serum Institute of India for 11 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine would be available at the price of Rs 200 per dose according to Serum Institute of India (SII) officials. With the Covid-19 vaccination drive in India set to roll out on January 16, SII's Covishield dispatch is likely to be early morning on January 12.

The first batch of Covishield vaccines leaves the Serum Institute of India for Pune airport. Track the latest updates on Covid-19 vaccines here.

Vaccines should be here by January 13. If the drive has to begin on January 16 & stock needs to be sent everywhere, it should arrive two days before. Government has to decide which vaccine to be given: Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo. (ANI)

16 lakh frontline workers in Karnataka to get Covid vaccine in Phase I: CM B S Yediyurappa

About 16 lakh frontline workers in Karnataka will be administered Covid-19 vaccine in the first phase starting from January 16, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Monday.

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The first consignment of the Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in Gujarat's Ahmedabad tomorrow morning: Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel

(ANI)

16 lakh frontline workers in Karnataka to get Covid vaccine in Phase I: CM B S Yediyurappa

About 16 lakh frontline workers in Karnataka will be administered Covid-19 vaccine in the first phase starting from January 16, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Monday.

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Dr Reddy’s submits Phase II safety data of Sputnik V to DCGI, seeks approval for Phase III

Sputnik V meets the primary endpoint of safety in the phase-2 clinical trials in India. Dr Reddy’s has submitted the phase-2 safety data for Drugs Controller General of India’s approval to continue phase-3 clinical trials: Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd

People have some doubts about forthcoming Covid-19 vaccination drive and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should get himself inoculated first to allay their concerns: NCP

(PTI)

Both Covishield and Covaxin will be given on January 16: Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar

Besides making all preparations, India built a platform to share vaccine with other countries & emerged as a global leader in providing vaccine. The portal by Govt of India - CoWIN - to deliver vaccine is an example of the capability of India's IT: MP CM after interaction with PM

(ANI)

Covid-19 vaccination is about to begin. Still, there are doubts among people regarding vaccines. We want PM Modi to begin this initiative by getting vaccinated himself so that doubts are done away with, trust is built & PM creates a new history: Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik

(ANI)

IMA requests its 3.5 lakh members to voluntarily get vaccinated

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday requested its 3.5 lakh members to voluntarily get the COVID-19 vaccine to show to the world that these shots are safe and efficacious.

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Serum Institute gets 'Covishield' vaccine purchase order from Centre

The Serum Institute on India on Monday said it has received the purchase order from the Centre for the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

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Two made-in-India Covid vaccines more cost-effective than others in world: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the two already approved made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines are more cost-effective than any other in the world and have been developed as per the country's needs.

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Serum Institute of India (SII) produced Covishield dispatch likely to be early morning tomorrow: Sources

(ANI)

Centre, not states, will bear expenses for first-phase vaccination of 3 crore corona-warriors, frontline workers: Modi

Our scientists, medical experts have taken all precautions to provide our citizens with effective vaccines: PM

Two approved Covid-19 vaccines in India more cost-effective than foreign vaccines and have been developed as per our needs, he added.

After 60% of the work is successful, we will hold a meeting again: PM Modi

Besides two already approved made-in-India vaccines, four more in pipeline to be rolled out in country: PM Modi

We aim to vaccinate 30 crore people in the next few months: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

No ifs and buts should be tolerated when it comes to vaccination: PM Modi says rumours on vaccine should be avoided

Coordination between Centre, states in fighting Covid-19 great example of federalism: PM Modi

Real-time data of vaccination should be updated on CoWIN App: PM Modi

Public representatives not part of 3-crore corona-warriors, frontline workers to be vaccinated first: PM Modi

(PTI)

Both the vaccines which are to be rolled out in India are most cost-effective in the world: PM Modi

By second phase of vaccination drive, India will have more vaccine candidates available: PM Modi

Watch PM Modi live here

The vaccine would be available at the price of Rs 200 per dose: Serum Institute of India (SII) officials

Serum Institute of India (SII) has received purchase order from Government of India: SII officials

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with state CMs about Covid-19 vaccination drive.

Russia says 1.5 million vaccinated globally with Sputnik

Russia announced Monday that 1.5 million people around the world had received its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine as part of an initiative Kremlin critics have described as a geopolitical push.

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People shouldn't hesitate to get vaccinated, listen to scientists: Delhi's first Covid-19 patient

Days ahead of the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination roll-out, the city's first coronavirus patient urged people on Monday to get immunised without hesitation and listen to the scientific community, and not get swayed in by naysayers or those "spreading misconception" about it.

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Maharashtra: Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd in Pune prepared to transport the Covid-19 vaccines from Serum Institute of India to other parts of the country.

(ANI)

India wants Serum Institute to lower price of AstraZeneca Covid-19 shot

The Indian government has been negotiating with the Serum Institute of India to bring down the price of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, people close to the matter said, delaying the roll-out of the country's immunisation programme.

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UK will have offered 15 million Covid-19 shots by mid-February: Minister

Britain will have offered Covid-19 vaccines to those in the top four priority categories -- about 15 million people -- by the middle of next month, the British minister responsible for vaccination programme said on Monday.

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India reports 16,311 new Covid-19 cases, 161 deaths; Lowest daily deaths since May

India reports 16,311 new Covid-19 cases, 19,299 discharges, and 161 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry. Total cases: 1,04,66,595 Active cases: 2,22,526 Total discharges: 1,00,92,909 Death toll: 1,51,160

India readies colossal coronavirus vaccine rollout

India aims to begin vaccinating its 1.3 billion people against coronavirus from Saturday, a colossal and complex task compounded by safety worries, shaky infrastructure, and public scepticism.

In one of the world's biggest rollouts, the planet's second-most populous nation hopes to inoculate 300 million people -- equal almost to the entire US population -- by July.

First to get one of two vaccines granted "emergency approval" will be 30 million health and other frontline workers, followed by around 270 million people aged over 50 or deemed high-risk all over the vast nation.

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Joe Biden to receive second Covid vaccine dose Monday

US President-elect Joe Biden will receive his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, his office announced, three weeks after his first injection was broadcast live on TV to boost public confidence in the jab.

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Global coronavirus caseload crosses 90 million

Coronavirus infections have now surpassed 90 million confirmed cases around the world, as more countries braced for a wider spread of more virulent strains of a disease that has now killed nearly 2 million worldwide.

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PM Narendra Modi to interact with Chief Ministers of all states via video conferencing today. They will discuss the Covid-19 situation and vaccination rollout.

Karnataka Health Minister says he will volunteer for vaccination if Centre permits

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Sunday said he would be the first person in the state to be administered the vaccine during phase-I planned for health workers, if the central government allowed public representatives also to be covered.

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Kerala set to commence Covid-19 vaccination drive

Even as Kerala is yet to receive any formal communication regarding the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines, the state is all set for the vaccination drive.

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UK to offer all adults Covid-19 vaccine by autumn 2021

Every adult in Britain will have been offered a coronavirus vaccination by the autumn, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Sunday, in the UK's biggest ever inoculation campaign.

Hancock said public health officials are currently vaccinating 200,000 people daily, as they race to meet a target of inoculating 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February.

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Karnataka's first Covid-19 vaccine batch to be Serum Institute of India's Covishield

The first batch of 13.90 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines that will be delivered to Karnataka will be Covishield, officials said on Sunday, as the state was all set to receive the shipments expected to arrive on Monday.

"The first batch will be the vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India,” said Dr Rajani Nageshrao, Deputy Director, Immunisation, adding thegovernment has only been contacted by the Serum Institute and not Bharat Biotech which has developed Covaxin.

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France says first Moderna Covid-19 vaccine doses to arrive today

France's health minister said Sunday that more than 50,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from US-based Moderna, newly authorised in Europe, would be ready for use this week in hard-hit regions.

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South Africa to store Covid-19 vaccines from India at secret place for fear of theft

The South African government will store the 1.5 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine that it will receive from India in the next few weeks at a secret place because of the risk of theft for sale at black market prices, according to a media report.

“The vaccines are a highly-rated commodity once they’re stolen and reach the black market,” Department of Health spokesperson Popo Maja told the weekly City Press on Sunday, adding that if this occurs, there is a risk that the prices of these illegally-obtained vaccines will be hiked significantly.

“There will be a central place where the consignment will be stored and from where we will distribute it to hospital and clinic pharmacies that can store it,” Maja said.

“There’s a security issue too because countries which have already begun rolling out the vaccines have warned us that there is a huge theft of it, so we may not even disclose where it is being centrally stored,” Maja said.

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CoWIN shall form foundation of Covid-19 inoculation drive: Centre

The Centre on Sunday said Co-WIN, an online platform for monitoring Covid-19 vaccine delivery, shall form the foundation for the anti-coronavirus inoculation drive which shall be citizen-centric so that the vaccine is available anytime and anywhere.

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