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India surpasses US in percentage of fully vaccinated

India now figures in the list of top five countries in the percentage of its population that has been fully vaccinated, reports Asian Lite News

India has surpassed the US in terms of the percentage of its total adult population that has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. While India has given both doses of the vaccine to 65% of its adults, the US has covered only 61.5% of its adult citizens, according to data compiled by the Union Health Ministry.

Spain has emerged as the leading country in the world has covered 81% of its population with both doses, followed by France with 73.2% while the UK has fully vaccinated 69.5% of its population.

India now figures in the list of top five countries in the percentage of its population that has been fully vaccinated.

In case of the first dose coverage, India has covered 90% of its eligible population, US has covered only 73.2% of the population, the UK has covered 75.9% of its population, France has covered 78.3% of its population, and Spain has covered 84.7% of its population, according to the Health Ministry data.

“Further, over 11 states/UTs in India have already achieved 100% of 1st dose vaccination, while 3 States/UTs have already achieved 100% full vaccination against COVID-19. Many States/UTs are soon expected to achieve 100% vaccination very quickly,” the Health Ministry said.

A nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign Har Ghar Dastak campaign was implemented from 3rd Nov 2021 which includes mobilization, awareness, vaccination campaign through reaching out to all missed out and dropped out eligible beneficiaries through house-to-house visits. This has also resulted in an increase of 1st dose coverage by 11.6% since the introduction of the campaign. While the second dose coverage increased by 28.9% in the same period, the statement added.

Vaccination of children aged between 15 and 18 begins  

Amid concerns over the new, highly transmissible Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, India began vaccinating the 15 to 18-year-old age group against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) today. It is, however, to be noted that only Bharat Biotech’s indigenously-made shot ‘Covaxin’ will be used for vaccinating this age bracket. According to a note sent by the Union health ministry to all states and Union territories, additional doses of Covaxin will be sent to the states for administering the vaccine to this population category.

The government’s decision to begin the vaccination drive in this regard was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Christmas Day last December. It was said that while vaccination for the age bracket of 15-18 will begin from January 3, 2022, the administration of a precautionary third dose (booster shot) for vulnerable categories of people will begin from January 10.

According to an official release by the Union health ministry, those people with the birth year of 2007 or before will be eligible for vaccination under the category of 15 to 18 year-olds.

States have been asked to ensure there are separate queues and vaccination teams for the 15-18 age group to avoid confusion with the vaccination process of all adults.

Potential beneficiaries began registering themselves on the Co-WIN portal from January 1; however, there is also the option of walk-in registration (albeit limited) at multiple vaccination centers when the immunisation drive begins today.

While most existing vaccination centers shall have separate queues beginning today, states have also been informed that they have the option to dedicate a few Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) as ‘dedicated CVC’ exclusively for the 15-18-year-olds. The same shall also reflect on the Co-WIN app to ensure that there is no confusion in administering the vaccines to the different age groups.

The states have also been advised to ensure the orientation of vaccinators and vaccination team members for the immunisation of 15-18 year-olds and the identification of dedicated session sites for the same. The states were further exhorted to undertake proper planning in advance for the distribution of Covaxin to identified session sites.

Paramilitary forces prepare for third wave

Amid rising number of Covid-19 cases, fuelled by its Omicron variant, the Central Armed Police Forces are stocking required medicines like Remdesivir, as well oxygen supplies and reactivating the dedicated Covid care centres, including the world’s largest makeshift Covid hospital in south Delhi.

The move came as the alarm bell rang among the various paramilitary forces after 19 coronavirus cases were detected in them.

According to the latest data, the Border Security Force (BSF) has reported nine cases, followed by five in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), three in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and two in the Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB).

No new cases have been reported in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the National Security Guard (NSG).

The data also said that 148 active Covid cases have been reported in the CAPFs as of now, comprising 46 in the BSF, 44 in the CISF, 42 in the CRPF, eight in the SSB, five in the ITBP, two in the NSG and one in NDRF and two in NSG.

Remdesivir

A total of 88,642 security men in CAPFs have been infected since the advent of the pandemic whereas 88,146 personnel have been recovered so far. The death toll has gone to 348 since April 2020.

Paramilitary force officials said that amid the rising number of Omicron cases, all the forces have been asked to strictly adhere to Covid-19 protocols in all units and field formations.

The MHA has sought data from all medical directorates of each force regarding the number of beds available, including oxygen beds, commissioning of oxygen supply and medicine stocks at dedicated Covid Health Care Centres across India.

ALSO READ-Vaccines still effective against Omicron: WHO chief scientist

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-Top News UK News

Britain’s coronavirus cases top 12 Million

According to official figures, England had its highest-ever daily number on Christmas day. A total of 113,628 cases were recorded on December 25, two days after hitting the previous record of 107,055 cases, reports Asian Lite News

Britain has reported another 98,515 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 12,209,991, according to official figures released.

The country also reported a further 143 coronavirus-related deaths, taking the national death toll to 148,003.

According to the figures released on Monday, England had its highest-ever daily number on Christmas day. A total of 113,628 cases were recorded on December 25, two days after hitting the previous record of 107,055 cases.

Figures are not available from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland due to the holiday period. As experts have noted, data around Christmas may not give a true picture of the situation, not least as people may be less likely to have a Covid-19 test.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that the government will not be imposing any new coronavirus restrictions by the end of 2021.

Speaking to media, Javid said ministers look at the data “on a daily basis” but this has not changed over the Christmas period. He urged people to “remain cautious” ahead of the New year’s celebrations.

More than 89 per cent of people aged 12 years and above in Britain have had their first vaccine dose, and around 82 per cent have received both, according to the latest figures. More than 56 per cent have received a booster jab or the third dose.

It came after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged its citizens to get vaccinated.

“We know two jabs do not give you enough protection against Omicron so whether it is your first, second or booster jab I urge you to book an appointment now,” UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet on Monday. He also urged the people to act cautiously given the rising number of Omicron cases. “Most importantly I urge everyone to get their first, second or booster jab without delay to protect yourselves and your loved ones,” Johnson added.

Europe faces massive Covid-19 surge

The number of Covid infections has surged to a new level in Europe as France has logged a record of nearly 1,80,000 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours.

As many as 1,79,807 new Covid-19 cases have been registered in France within the past 24 hours, which is a record high number since the beginning of the pandemic.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran predicted on Wednesday that the Omicron coronavirus strain might become prevalent in the country in late December. As of Monday, 77 per cent of the French have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19,

Italy is also not far behind in the number of cases as in the past 24 hours the country on Tuesday reported 78,300 new cases of the coronavirus, which is over double the figure of the previous day.

An absolute record of over 17,000 new Covid-19 cases has also been logged in Portugal, the country’s directorate-general of health said on Tuesday.

Experts laud Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs

Britain’s early deployment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to protect against Covid-19 may be responsible for the country’s lower death rates compared to other European countries, a UK vaccines expert has said.

Dr Clive Dix, former chairman of the UK’s Vaccine Task Force, told the Daily Telegraph’ that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured and administered in India as Covidshield may offer stronger long-term protection against severe Covid-19 and death.

If you look across Europe, with the rise in cases, there’s also a corresponding lagged rise in deaths, but not in the UK, and we have to understand that, said Dr Dix.

“I personally believe that’s because most of our vulnerable people were given the AstraZeneca vaccine,” he said.

According to Our World in Data, a website run by the University of Oxford, the UK has 1.7 daily deaths from Covid per million people. In comparison, the European Union (EU) as a whole has almost four.

The key, Dix believes, is that although the RNA jabs such as Pfizer/BioNTech produce a more obvious and rapid jump in antibody levels in lab tests, other vaccines may be better at priming another part of the immune system called cellular immunity.

This includes various forms of T cells, including those that destroy infected cells, and also memory cells, ensuring a person can fight off an infection several years after they are first exposed to it.

They are slower to react than antibodies and do not prevent infection, but do halt the pathogen in its tracks, making it harder for the virus to cause damage.

We’ve seen early data that the Oxford jab produces a very durable cellular response and if you’ve got a durable cellular immunity response then they can last for a long time. It can last for life in some cases, Dix told the newspaper.

AstraZeneca vaccine

The only notable difference, according to the scientist, between the UK and Europe’s vaccine rollout was the approach to the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.

European regulators approved the use of the vaccine long after the UK had rolled it out among its older age groups at the end of last year.

While MRNA vaccines like those made by Pfizer are based on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, to produce highly specific antibodies, AstraZeneca (Covishield), and other vaccines like those made by Novavax and Valneva use a wider approach.

We know that with adenoviral vector vaccines and adjuvanted proteins you get a much broader cellular response and I think we need to look at all that data across all the vaccines, said Dix, adding that there was nothing wrong with using Pfizer or Moderna as a booster, but alternative vaccines may be a better alternative in the long-term.

ALSO READ-Covid cases shoot up in China

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-Top News COVID-19 UK News

UK’s million jab mission won’t prevent case surge

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently launched the “Omicron Emergency Booster National Mission” to encourage everyone eligible to “get boosted now”…reports Asian Lite News.

The UK government’s decision to ramp up Covid-19 vaccination in response to the new Omicron variant will take time to bring any benefit and may not prevent a surge in cases over the next few weeks, experts have said.

“Given the very high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and its ability to, at least partially, evade immunity, it should be clear that a rapid response is needed. Instead, we have a policy based almost entirely on increasing vaccination rates that will take weeks to bring any benefit,” Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Xinhua news agency.

“This is an inevitable consequence of the disagreements within the ruling Conservative Party. It is a political rather than a scientific decision,” the expert said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently launched the “Omicron Emergency Booster National Mission” to encourage everyone eligible to “get boosted now”.

Everyone aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster vaccine before the end of the year to combat the threat of rising Omicron variant cases.

The Prime Minister has also announced that England will move to “Plan B” amid the rapid spread of Omicron, including a requirement for millions of people to work from home and mandatory face-mask wearing in a wider range of locations.

“The UK government has placed enormous emphasis on vaccines as the means of preventing the need to re-impose COVID restrictions. There was always a risk that a surge in cases could undermine that strategy,” social policy expert Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg from the University of Liverpool told Xinhua news agency.

“The sudden emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in the run-up to Christmas has made new restrictions inevitable. Yet, the government’s emphasis remains on vaccinations.

“Even with new rules on mask-wearing in public places and Covid passports for large events, it is a race that the UK’s National Health Service is likely to lose,” he added.

“My view is that the government, under pressure from the medical and scientific advisers, is erring on the side of caution while awaiting more extensive information on the risk from the Omicron variant,” said Professor Iain Begg, an expert in politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

On Wednesday, Britian reported 78,610 new cases, the highest daily infections since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

Another 4,671 Omicron cases have been confirmed in Britain on the same day, the biggest daily increase since the variant first detected in the country, taking total tally to 10,017.

As of Thursday, the UK’s overall Covid caseload has increased to 11,073,455, while the death toll stood at 147,249.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks with NHS staff and volunteers at the Saga Vaccination Centre in Ramsgate. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

The latest data came as England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned that there will continue to be record numbers of Covid cases over the next few weeks.

Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, Whitty suggested the country is experiencing “two epidemics on top of one another”, one driven by the “very rapidly-growing” Omicron variant and the other by the Delta.

“I am afraid we have to be realistic that records will be broken a lot over the next few weeks as the rates continue to go up,” he said.

ALSO READ-UK orders 114 Mn Covid jabs amid Omicron scare

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-Top News COVID-19 UK News

Britain marks one year since deploying world’s first Covid-19 jab

Kolkata: Health workers give the 1st dose of vaccine to the Government workers during increasing numbers of COVID 19 cases in Kolkata 24 May, 2021. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/ IANS

HS England has also launched a recruitment drive for 10,000 new vaccinators, administration staff, healthcare support workers and volunteers to join the national vaccination mission…reports Asian Lite News.

Britain administered the first Covid-19 vaccine in the world, outside of clinical trials, one year ago today as the Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid urges people to get their booster jab as soon as they are eligible.

On 8 December 2020, 90-year-old Margaret Keenan received a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at University Hospital in Coventry, administered by Matron May Parsons.

Thanks to government’s quick action to secure the most promising vaccine doses in advance, almost 120 million doses have been administered across the UK in a year, saving countless lives and helping stop the NHS from being overwhelmed.

In light of the new Omicron variant and following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the government is expanding the booster programme to all adults over 18 and announced that all eligible people will be offered a top-up jab by the end of January, as well as halving the minimum gap between second doses and boosters.

To speed up the vaccination programme, around 450 military personnel have been drafted in to support deployment, with extra community pharmacy sites, hospital hubs, and pop-up sites opening in convenient locations across the country. Payments to GPs, community pharmacies and primary care staff will help boost capacity and encourage more visits to those who are housebound.

NHS England has also launched a recruitment drive for 10,000 new vaccinators, administration staff, healthcare support workers and volunteers to join the national vaccination mission.

Almost 21 million boosters and third doses have been administered in the UK and, on Saturday, more than 450,000 top-up jabs were administered in a single day. In the last week, the booster programme reached more people than the adult population of Greater Manchester.

Everyone over the age of 40 who had their second dose at least three months ago will soon be able to book an appointment for their booster jab. Younger age groups will be invited by the NHS in order of age in due course. The BT Tower in London will celebrate the anniversary with a message encouraging people to get vaccinated, get boosted and get protected.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “Since the first jab was delivered one year ago today, our phenomenal vaccine rollout has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and given us the best possible protection against Covid-19. So many people have been involved in this national vaccination effort, including our brilliant NHS staff, pharmacists, the military, the thousands of volunteers who dedicated themselves to the rollout, the incredible scientists, researchers and their teams who developed these life-saving vaccinations, and crucially every single one of you who has taken up the offer of a jab with such enthusiasm.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said, “I’m incredibly proud of our phenomenal Covid-19 vaccination programme. In one year we have administered almost 120 million doses across the UK, saving countless lives and giving us a powerful weapon to fight this devastating virus.”

The first real-world study on the effectiveness of booster vaccines against the dominant Delta variant by the UK Health Security Agency shows top-up jabs boost protection back up to over 90% against symptomatic COVID-19 in adults aged over 50 two weeks after being vaccinated.

As shown in the COV-Boost study, the booster vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer, increase the immune response substantially, which makes it more likely that protection will be maintained against Omicron. The best thing anyone can do given the new variant, is to get a booster.

People who have had their booster vaccine by 11 December will likely have very high protection against COVID-19 by Christmas Day.

Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup said, “Our Covid-19 vaccination programme has been an incredible success. Booster jabs will top-up the immunity people have already developed to ensure we are protected during the winter and ahead of Christmas. I encourage everybody to come forward for the first, second, booster and flu vaccines to protect yourself and those around you.”

ALSO READ-‘Encouraging’ early data on Omicron severity: Fauci

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-Top News COVID-19 UK News

‘Mass Boosters Unnecessary As Immunity Lasting Well’

The comments from the scientist behind Oxford vaccine comes at a time when the UK medicines regulator has given greenlight to Pfizer and AstraZeneca for booster vaccines and awaiting approval from the vaccine advisory body, JCVI, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

The UK medicines regulator – Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – has approved the use of Pfizer and AstraZeneca as Covid booster vaccines, paving the way for a rollout ahead of the winter.

But the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the UK vaccine advisory body, has not decided if they are needed, and who should be eligible, the BBC reported.

The JCVI has said a third dose should be offered to people with severely weakened immune systems. Up to half a million people over the age of 12 in the UK are in this group.

Meanwhile, Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert, the scientist behind the Oxford vaccine, told the Daily Telegraph that giving booster jabs to everyone is unnecessary as “immunity is lasting well.”

“We need to get vaccines to countries where few of the population have been vaccinated so far,” she said.

She said the decision over boosters needed to be looked at carefully. “We will look at each situation; the immunocompromised and elderly will receive boosters,” she told the Telegraph. “But I don’t think we need to boost everybody. Immunity is lasting well in the majority of people.”

Meanwhile, Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive, said giving booster shots is an important regulatory change as it gives further options for the vaccination programme, which has saved thousands of lives so far.

“This means ensuring that existing COVID-19 vaccines can continue to be used in the most effective way possible,” Dr Raine said.

She also said the UK has in place a comprehensive safety surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all UK-approved COVID-19 vaccines and this surveillance will include booster jabs.

‘No need to rush into booster’

A third dose of vaccines against Covid-19 may not be needed for everyone in the UK and rushing into a nationwide rollout may put extra pressure on the country’s already burdened National Health Service (NHS), Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca has said, according to The Telegraph report.

“Moving too quickly to boost across the entire adult population will deprive us of these insights, leaving this important decision to rest on limited data,” Soriot wrote in the newspaper.

“A third dose for all may be needed, but it may not. Mobilising the NHS for a boosting programme that is not needed would potentially add unnecessary burden on the NHS over the long winter months.

“Because NHS staff and resources are scarce, another national mobilisation would potentially leave us with fewer resources for cancer screenings and the other care provided by doctors and nurses each day,” he said.

The UK drug maker chief noted that “this is important not just for the UK but for the rest of the world”.

So far, 1.2 billion doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, Covishield in India, have been distributed.

Soriot further stated that it is critical to understand the need for a third dose, as the decision will have “real implications for how we deploy scarce NHS resources”.

While booster doses may be “a sensible immediate precaution” for the vulnerable, the elderly or those with people with weak immune systems, the decision to jab the entire population must be based on “real world clinical effectiveness data, not simply antibody measurements”, they noted.

“Indeed, we don’t know what mix of antibodies and T-cells are needed to prevent serious illness — the so-called correlates of protection. This is why we need the weight of the clinical evidence gathered from real world use before we can make an informed decision on a third dose,” they pointed out.

On the other hand, US pharmaceutical major Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla had announced that Covid vaccine recipients will “likely” need a third dose between six to 12 months after they’re fully vaccinated. He also suggested the need for yearly vaccinations against coronavirus.

The US is also expected to soon roll out Covid booster vaccines for all its citizens, even as the World Health Organisation has called for a moratorium on boosters.

The US has already started a third dose for immunocompromised people. Other countries include Israel, Italy, France, and Russia.

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-Top News COVID-19 UK News

Third jab for people with poor immunity

These people may not mount a full response to vaccination and therefore may be less protected than the wider population, it said…reports Asian Lite News.

The government has accepted Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) advice to offer a third COVID-19 vaccine to people with severely weakened immune systems.

According to JCVI, this third dose should be offered to people over 12 who were severely immunosuppressed at the time of their first or second dose, including those with leukaemia, advanced HIV and recent organ transplants.

These people may not mount a full response to vaccination and therefore may be less protected than the wider population, it said.

This offer is separate to any potential booster programme. The JCVI is still deliberating the potential benefits of booster vaccines for the rest of the population and is awaiting further evidence to inform this decision.

“We know people with specific conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 may have received less protection against the virus from two vaccine doses. I am determined to ensure we are doing all we can to protect people in this group and a third dose will help deliver that,” Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.

“The NHS will contact people as soon as possible to discuss their needs and arrange an appointment for a third dose where clinically appropriate.”

He said that this is not the start of the booster programme.

“We are continuing to plan for this to begin in September to ensure the protection people have built from vaccines is maintained over time and ahead of the winter. We will prioritise those most at risk to COVID-19, including those who are eligible for a third primary vaccine, for boosters based on the final advice of the JCVI,” he added.

He added that vaccines have saved more than 105,000 lives and prevented 24 million infections in England alone.

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-Top News COVID-19 EU News

EU seals deal with Novavax for 200mn vax doses


The previously concluded contracts secured a portfolio of up to 4.4 billion doses. Rich western nations have been accused of hoarding far more doses than their citizens need…reports Asian Lite News.

The European Commission announced it has approved a deal that allows European Union (EU) member states to buy up to 200 million doses of Novavax’s Covid-19 jab, once the European Medicines Agency (EMA) deems it safe and effective for use.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Commission said that through the agreement with the US pharmaceutical firm, EU countries will be able to purchase 100 million Novavax vaccine doses, with the option to purchase a further 100 million over the course of 2021, 2022, and 2023, reports Xinhua news agency.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the deal as further strengthening the bloc’s “broad vaccine portfolio”.

The EU has already signed contracts with AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, BioNTech-Pfizer, CureVac, Moderna and concluded exploratory talks with Valneva.

The previously concluded contracts secured a portfolio of up to 4.4 billion doses. Rich western nations have been accused of hoarding far more doses than their citizens need.

The Washington Post previously estimated that the US has bought coronavirus vaccines three times the amount needed, while many developing countries are still struggling to get a single dose.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called on rich countries to halt the plan to distribute Covid-19 booster shots, citing vaccine inequity around the world.

“We need an urgent reversal from the majority of vaccines going to high-income countries, to the majority going to low-income countries,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing.

EU recommends full vaccination

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have strongly recommended complete Covid-19 vaccination as a key to protect against the most serious effects of the virus, including those caused by the Delta variant.

https://twitter.com/EMA_News/status/1422901141705302016

With the increasing circulation of the Delta variant in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA), the two agencies on Wednesday encouraged those who are eligible but have not yet been vaccinated to start the immunization program “in a timely manner”, reports Xinhua news agency.

“While the available vaccines are highly effective in protecting people against severe Covid-19, until higher proportions of the population are immunized, the risk is not beyond us,” ECDC’s Chief Scientist, Mike Catchpole, said.

The organisations emphasized that full vaccination with any of the approved vaccines “offers a high level of protection against severe disease and death caused by SARS-CoV-2, including variants, such as Delta”.

However, no vaccine is 100 per cent effective, and breakthrough infections in vaccinated people will continue as long as the virus continues to circulate.

The agencies therefore recommended that everyone should adhere to national regulations, and continue to take measures such as wearing masks and respecting social distancing, even those who are fully vaccinated.

The EU has reached its target of ensuring that at least 70 pe rcent of the adult population had received at least one dose of vaccine by the end of July, but the member states hope to see this percentage increase to contain the spread of new variants.

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-Top News COVID-19 UK News

New study into Covid jab interval for pregnant women

This data will help determine the best dosage interval and tell us more about how the vaccine works to protect pregnant mothers and their babies against COVID-19…reports Asian Lite News.

The government has launched the largest clinical trial investigating the best gap between first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses for pregnant women.

The Preg-CoV study, backed by £7.5 million of government funding and led by St George’s, University of London, is expected to provide vital clinical trial data on the immune response to vaccination at different dose intervals – either 4 to 6 weeks or 8 to 12 weeks.

Following 130,000 pregnant women being vaccinated in the US and no safety concerns being raised, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were recommended by the independent experts at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for pregnant women in the UK, the government stated.

It said almost 52,000 pregnant women in England have been vaccinated – similarly, with no safety concerns reported.

Data published last week by NHS England and the University of Oxford also shows no pregnant women who have had both doses of a vaccine have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Only 3 have been admitted after having their first dose, meaning 98% of those admitted to hospital have not received a jab.

This data will help determine the best dosage interval and tell us more about how the vaccine works to protect pregnant mothers and their babies against COVID-19.

“Pregnant women are more likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19 and we know that vaccines are safe for them and make a huge difference – in fact no pregnant woman with 2 jabs has required hospitalisation with COVID-19,” Minister for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi said.

“This government-backed trial will provide more data about how we can best protect pregnant women and their babies, and we can use this evidence to inform future vaccination programmes,” he added.

He also encouraged anyone who is pregnant and eligible to sign up and contribute to the research.

Vaccines have been given to pregnant women to protect them and their babies from diseases for years – including for whooping cough and flu.

The trial will involve over 600 pregnant women being vaccinated with either the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine. They will be closely monitored by health professionals throughout their pregnancy and following the birth, with the safety of the women taking part in the trial the utmost priority.

The Preg-CoV participants will need to be between 18 and 44-years-old, have no health conditions and be between 13 and 34 weeks pregnant on the day of vaccination. They will receive 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine – or one dose if they’ve already had their first – at either the shorter interval of 4 to 6 weeks, or the longer interval of 8 to 12 weeks.

They will be scheduled to attend 9 visits in total and will be required to complete an electronic diary between visits on any symptoms. They will also be given a 24-hour mobile number so they can contact one of the trial team at any time if they have concerns.

The scientists behind the trial will analyse blood samples from the participants and one blood sample from their newborn babies, alongside samples from breastmilk. They will use the samples to help understand more about how the vaccines are protecting these individuals from COVID-19, with initial results expected by the end of the year.

The study will open for applications from volunteers today via the study’s website, with vaccinations set to start from mid August. Participants will also be recruited to the study by invites sent through the NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Research Registry, which allows research teams to speak to suitable volunteers who have signed up to be contacted about taking part in vaccine studies.

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Vidya trusts made in India vaccine, urges all to take jab

Speaking to us, Vidya advocates for Indians to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus so that we can all do our bit to reduce the burden on our healthcare systems and workers…writes Siddhi Jain.

Vidya Balan, the fabulous actress of Bollywood is continuing her vibrant career with stronger characters. Vidya who is currently being lauded for her role in Amit Masurkar’s ‘Sherni’ acknowledges that “the coronavirus pandemic put a tremendous amount of pressure and stress on our healthcare workers”. Despite this, “they continue to work tirelessly, giving us the best of care — a reality we don’t see often unless we visit a hospital or a healthcare facility,” Vidya tells.

The popular actor has joined hands with Vicks to lend her voice in support of all doctors and healthcare workers in the country. The brand, through its #TouchOfCare campaign, recently launched a heart-warming film on the inspiring journey of late Dnyaneshwar Bhosale’s selfless acts of care.

Bhosale left no stone unturned to ensure that many less fortunate children received life-saving medical attention during the pandemic. A doctor who lost his life to Covid-19, Bhosale left behind his wife, kids, and his dreams of building his own paediatric hospital. The film pays tribute to Bhosale and hundreds of doctors like him who lost their lives during the pandemic while extending their ‘Touch Of Care’ to the many souls in need.

Vidya said that she wished to bring to light the invisible force behind the doctors themselves: their families.

Vidya shared: “I salute Bhosale’s wife and family for supporting his selfless work! He showed us how a simple act of care can change the lives of those who need it. With his unrelenting spirit, Bhosale worked day and night during the pandemic, and like many other doctors and healthcare workers, left us too soon. I wish Mrs. Bhosale all the strength in the world to make Mr Bhosale’s dream a reality and keep his care alive among the little children of Latur.”

The National Film Award winning actor has acted in many female-led films, paving the path for change in not just the entertainment but also related industries with her bold voice. She supports the well-being message of staying at home and staying safe.

Speaking to us, Vidya advocates for Indians to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus so that we can all do our bit to reduce the burden on our healthcare systems and workers.

To support the selfless, unflinching, and challenging work by doctors and healthcare workers during this pandemic, Vidya said, “I trust the vaccines made in India, and urge everyone to maintain social distance and wash their hands regularly. I hope our country gets vaccinated soon and we are able to fight this virus with zeal!”

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Categories
-Top News COVID-19

Covid-19 vaccination coverage crosses 400 million doses

This constitutes an overall recovery rate of 97.31%, which is showing a sustained increasing trend…reports Asian Lite News.

India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage has now crossed the landmark of 40 crore (400 million) doses.

Cumulatively, 40,49,31,715 vaccine doses have been administered through 50,46,387 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am in Sunday.

According to the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 51,01,567 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. India has reported 41,157 daily new cases in the last 24 hours. With this, less than 50,000 Daily New Cases have been reported since 21 continuous days.

People stand in a long queue to enter the Sarojini Nagar metro station in New Delhi. (IANS)

According to the health ministry, 3,02,69,796 people have already recovered from COVID-19; 42,004patients have recovered in the last 24 hours.

This constitutes an overall recovery rate of 97.31%, which is showing a sustained increasing trend.

India’s Active Caseload today stands at 4,22,660 and active cases now constitute1.36% of the country’s total Positive Cases. With testing capacity across the country having been substantially ramped up, a total of 19,36,709 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the country.

Cumulatively, India has conducted over 44.39 crore (44,39,58,663) tests so far, the health ministry said.

At the same time, a continued decline in weekly case positivity is being noticed.

The Weekly Positivity Rate is currently at 2.08% while the Daily Positivity rate stands at 2.13%. The Daily Positivity rate has remained less than 3% for 27 consecutive days, and has remained below 5% for 41 consecutive days now.

Meanwhile, India on Monday recorded 38,164 new Covid-19cases and 499 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

On April 5, India reported 446 deaths.

According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 38,660 people were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total discharge to 3,03,08,456 till date from hospitals and health centres as the virus infected less than one lakh people in the last 41 days.

The country has 4,21,665 active cases presently and has witnessed a total of 4,14,108 deaths so far.

The total number of samples tested so far has reached 44,54,22,256 including 14,63,593 samples tested on Sunday.

According to the health ministry, a total of 40,64,81,493 Covid vaccine doses were administered in India, including 13,63,123 in the last 24 hours. (India News Network)

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