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India's COVID-19 vaccine mega-drive - will it succeed?

CanadianG00se said:
Here in Ontario(Canada) people who had 1st dose of AZ are now eligible for Pfizer/Moderna for second dose. My parents got their second dose of Pfizer today after gap of 12+ weeks.

I heard with arrival of more vaccines, wait time will be further reduced. Current wait time is 8 or less weeks for second dose. Canada is among top nation with highest percentage of 1st dose around 66%, which is why we had a bit longer wait time for second dose until past week. I’m getting my second dose tomorrow which will be 7 weeks from 1st dose.

I might be wrong but Public Health of Canada are no longer offering AZ vaccine here.
Click to expand...

Canada is mixing vaccines. Thats something that's not followed in majority of the countries.

According to lancet, if the doses of AZ are separated by 12 weeks, efficacy is 81 percent


https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www....s-apart-lancet-study/article34025087.ece/amp/
 
cricketjoshila said:
Canada is mixing vaccines. Thats something that's not followed in majority of the countries.

According to lancet, if the doses of AZ are separated by 12 weeks, efficacy is 81 percent


https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www....s-apart-lancet-study/article34025087.ece/amp/
Click to expand...

Some EU countries are also mixing doses as it seems to give higher efficacy, for instance mixing AZ with Pfizer/Moderna will give higher efficacy than say two doses of AZ vaccines.
Recent study from UK shows that one dose of AZ vaccine is having very weak response against Delta variant(in some cases even two doses are not able to prevent hospitalization). I believe to counter Delta variant, many western countries are now preferring mRNA vaccine.
 
Made-In-India Biological E Vaccine May Be 90% Effective, "Game-Changer"

Bio E, in particular, may hold huge potential since the vaccine, being developed by Hyderabad-based Biological E., may be sold at an incredibly low ₹ 250 for two doses.

New Delhi: Biological E's made-in-India vaccine is expected to have 90 per cent effectiveness against Covid and will likely be a gamechanger in the fight against the pandemic, says a top doctor on a government advisory panel. NK Arora, chairperson of the Centre's Covid Working Group, has said that the vaccine is entering Phase 3 trials and could be available by October.
Dr Arora said Biological E's vaccine - to be called Corbevax -- is similar to the Novavax vaccine, which is more than 90 per cent effective including against Covid variants, according to the company. Novavax will be produced in India by the Serum Institute of India, which also makes Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield.

"Novavax (of Serum Institute) is very exciting. In the past week it has created a rage because India is going to manufacture almost a billion doses a year. It is going to be simple and cheaper with a 90 per cent vaccine effectiveness," Dr Arora told NDTV.

"A very similar Indian vaccine is also under phase 3 trial, which is the Bio E vaccine. These vaccines are exciting because we have previous experience on a similar platform. They are safe across the age groups and have very high effectiveness," he said.

Bio E, in particular, may hold huge potential since the vaccine, being developed by Hyderabad-based Biological E., may be sold at an incredibly low ₹ 250 for two doses.

"Bio E will be out likely in October with an efficacy matching Novavax's. In other words, 90 per cent. They are moving to stage 3 trials soon," said Dr Arora, also Chairperson of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) which guides the government on matters related to vaccination.

The others that he referred to were Zydus-Cadila's product and India's own messenger RNA-based Covid vaccine to be manufactured by Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals.

"The Indian mRNA vaccine is in phase 2. We will have it by September. It is more compatible with the Indian setting in storage, transport and shelf life."

Dr Arora said he believed there is a strong chance that the world will ultimately depend on India for affordable and effective vaccines against COVID-19.

Heaping praise on the Indian pharmaceutical industry, naming those such as Pune-based Serum Institute and Ahemdabad-based Cadilla Pharma, he expressed excitement about some of their products which could potentially change the dynamics of the battle against the pandemic.

"This may sound presumptuous. Ultimately the world will be dependent on us for vaccines. It is very premature, very presumptuous," Dr Arora told NDTV, his assertion predicated on India's own requirements being fulfilled first.

"I'm aware that everybody is looking forward to India. Because most of the poor countries and low-income countries have no source. Today it is easier to buy weapons than to buy vaccines," he said.
India is recovering from a deadly second wave of the pandemic that saw a huge surge in the number of deaths and hospitalisations, accompanied by an acute shortage of resources, including vaccines. So much so that countries like the US have come to India's aid on this front.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/covid-working-group-chief-dr-nk-arora-says-world-will-depend-on-india-for-vaccines-2465628
 
Mumbai Housing Society Says It Was Scammed Into A Fake Vaccine Drive

The society, Hiranandani Heritage Residents Welfare Association (HHRWA), has sought an investigation into the matter.


Mumbai: A housing society in Mumbai's Kandivali area has complained to police that it was apparently cheated by some persons who organized a COVID-19 vaccination camp for its members by claiming to represent a private hospital, and the vaccine that was administered could be spurious.
The society, Hiranandani Heritage Residents Welfare Association (HHRWA), has sought an investigation into the matter.

A vaccination camp was arranged by the residential complex on May 30. But later it found that the Co-WIN portal did not have any record of the people who participated and they received certificates in the name of different hospitals, it said.

"If the vaccine is found to be spurious, the people who got vaccinated will have a medical emergency to deal with. Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate the whole episode so that such fraudulent activities are not repeated at other places," the complaint said.

The HHRWA had orgainzed the camp through a person named Pandey, who claimed to be a sales representative of a reputed private hospital in Andheri. As many as 390 members received the jabs at the camp at ₹ 1,260 per person, it said in the complaint.

"We now feel that some unscrupulous elements have taken us for a ride," the complaint read.

They were shocked to receive vaccination certificates in the name of Nanavati Hospital, Lifeline Hospital, and NESCO Covid Camp, among others, it said.

"On contacting Nanavati Hospital, they denied any involvement and said they're victims in the situation too," said Neha Alshi, a resident of the complex, on Twitter.

Nanavati Hospital said in a statement that it had not conducted any such vaccination camp. "We have informed the authorities and are lodging a formal complaint," said its spokesperson on Tuesday.

The HHRWA also said that none of the people who got vaccinated had the usual after-effects like fever or body ache.

"There are doubts about whether we were actually given Covishield or was it just glucose or expired/waste vaccine," said Alshi in her tweets.

According to the complaint, one Sanjay Gupta was the coordinator for the camp, but he did not give receipts for the payment for vaccines. He had asked the association to make payment to one Mahendra Singh.

Local BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar said the residents approached him after suspecting a fraud. "Police should conduct a thorough probe as such frauds pose a threat to people's lives," he said.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), from this week, has made the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between private vaccination providers and housing societies if such camps are organised. The MoU should have all relevant details, it said.

As per the BMC, so far 41,11,880 people have been administered the vaccine in Mumbai including 8,24,428 who have got both doses

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mumbai-housing-society-says-it-was-scammed-into-a-fake-vaccine-drive-2465759?pfrom=home-coronavirus_coronavirus-lateststories_live
 
COVID Vaccines Reach Last Village Near LoC And Remote Gujjar, Bakarwal Communities In Kashmir

A team of Indian Army and healthcare workers have made sure that no eligible persons in one of the most distant and remote parts of the country are left out from the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Crossing the difficult hilly terrains of the region and flowing rivers on foot, a team of Indian Army and health workers reached Kerani village, the last village near the Line of Control (LoC) to conduct door-to-door inoculation.

For those who cannot come to cities
Captain Sadik Arman, an Army doctor, said that the entire population of the Kerani village has been vaccinated with the first dose.

"We came very close to the Line of Control to inoculate those who cannot come to the cities to get vaccinated. The area is hilly and the terrain is difficult, therefore we came here to vaccinate all, especially those who are aged and disabled, and could not come to the vaccination centre," he told ANI.

"Thankful to Indian Army"
Mohd Hussain, a beneficiary from the village said, "I am thankful to the Indian Army for coming to our area which is the last village near LoC and conducting door to door vaccination."

Lauding the Indian Army's initiative of walking for 3 hours to their village, Shama, a local said, "We are very thankful to them for coming with a medical team to vaccinating the old and young people of our village. Most of us received our first vaccine shot today."

Similar door-to-door vaccination drives have also been held in other parts of Kashmir.

Remote communities
A special team of doctors made it to the higher reaches of the mountains in Doda district to inoculate the Gujjars and Bakarwals.

Dr Hamid Parry, the Medical Officer with the team said, "The authorities have been conducting vaccination drives throughout the UT, and under an exclusive program they decided to vaccinate the Gujjars and Bakarwals who migrate to these mountains."

The team travelled for six hours on foot and horseback to reach the village which is nearly 130 km away from Doda city.

Dr Yakoob Mir, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Doda told ANI that the communities had migrated from Punjab to these mountains. "Our aim is to ensure that all in the UT are vaccinated, be it the people who have migrated here from different places or those who come here for trading," he said.

The medical team faced problems as people were hesitant about being vaccinated and they had to convince them to not believe rumours and safeguard themselves against COVID-19.

"We have tried our best to ensure that no one remains unvaccinated in this area. We have also tried our best to clear all myths and doubts these people had, regarding the vaccine", Parry added.

https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/covid-vaccines-reach-last-village-near-loc-and-remote-gujjar-bakarwal-communities-in-kashmir-542985.html
 
Production ramped up, 13.5 crore jabs will be available in July

Top government sources, part of the team monitoring the Covid-19 vaccination drive, said states will be informed that 75 percent of the 13.5 crore doses will be made available free of cost in July for advance planning.

Around 13.5 crore doses will be made available in July by the country’s vaccine manufacturers for the Covid-19 immunisation drive, even as Monday onwards the Centre will exclusively procure and distribute vaccines to the states free of cost to administer them to everyone above 18 years, The Sunday Express has learnt.

Top government sources, part of the team monitoring the Covid-19 vaccination drive, said states will be informed that 75 percent of the 13.5 crore doses will be made available free of cost in July for advance planning.


The increase in availability of doses comes just two months after the country’s two vaccine manufacturers had started augmenting capacity. Sources said that from 7.5 crore doses in May, 12 crore doses will be available by the end of June as the revised guidelines for vaccination come into effect from Monday, where states will no longer be involved in vaccine procurement from open market.

“The conservative estimate of availability of doses for July will be approximately 13.5 crore,” a source said. “May was a critical month from the point of view of vaccine supply — in April-May, vaccine manufacturers were augmenting capacity. They have done this to almost 50 percent, and the remaining augmentation will be done by June-end. The results can be seen in July-August — more in August, but significant also in July.”

Also Read |From Corbevax to Covovax: All you need to know about India’s new Covid-19 vaccines
Sources also said that results of ramping up of Covaxin production will start showing in August. With manufacturer Bharat Biotech having begun augmentation, sources said 2.5 crore doses will be available in July. “The revised guidelines, along with enhanced production capacity, will show an accelerated speed as well as accelerated coverage, because in effect vaccine doses are now free for all age groups at government vaccination sites,” a source said.

Under the new guidelines, states will aggregate the demand of private hospitals, keeping in view equitable distribution between large and small private hospitals and regional balance.

On Sunday, it is learnt, the Centre will hold a meeting with private hospitals — the first of its kind — on facilitating supply of vaccines to small private facilities and their payment through the National Health Authority’s (NHA) electronic platform.

“At one point, there were 8,000 vaccination sites at private hospitals from January and April,” the source said. “That number fell to 1,700 in May. There was greater participation earlier because small hospitals were receiving doses from the Centre by depositing Rs 100 in the NHA account. In May, they had to negotiate directly, which was very difficult. Now states have done aggregation, which will enable them again to be part of the vaccination drive.”

“We will have an interaction with private hospitals tomorrow (Sunday). This will also lead to greater speed and coverage,” the source added.

The Centre procured 100-percent doses between January 16 and April 30 this year and provided them free of cost to states to administer vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers, and everyone above 45 years. From May 1, states and private hospitals were allowed to procure 50 percent doses from the open market to vaccinate people in the 18-44 age group.

From Monday, the Centre will exclusively procure 75 percent vaccine doses and distribute them free to the states to vaccinate everyone above the age of 18. The decision came after several states communicated to the Union government that they prefer going back to the centralised procurement system, as many of them were facing difficulties in managing funding, procurement, and logistics of vaccines.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/production-ramped-up-13-5-cr-jabs-will-be-available-in-july-7366917/
 
cricketjoshila said:
Two doses of AZ is 92 per cent effective in preventing the delta variant related hospitalization.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/astrazeneca-vs-delta-2-doses-found-crucial-7360825/lite/
Click to expand...

That means 8% people will get hospitalized(For India, 8% could still mean thousands of people) with serious covid complications. As per latest reports from UK, from that 8%, approximately 30% will be at risk of losing their lives.
I think India should offer mRNA vaccines to vulnerable populations giving them more protection against variants like Delta.
 
OMB said:
Production ramped up, 13.5 crore jabs will be available in July

Top government sources, part of the team monitoring the Covid-19 vaccination drive, said states will be informed that 75 percent of the 13.5 crore doses will be made available free of cost in July for advance planning.

Around 13.5 crore doses will be made available in July by the country’s vaccine manufacturers for the Covid-19 immunisation drive, even as Monday onwards the Centre will exclusively procure and distribute vaccines to the states free of cost to administer them to everyone above 18 years, The Sunday Express has learnt.

Top government sources, part of the team monitoring the Covid-19 vaccination drive, said states will be informed that 75 percent of the 13.5 crore doses will be made available free of cost in July for advance planning.


The increase in availability of doses comes just two months after the country’s two vaccine manufacturers had started augmenting capacity. Sources said that from 7.5 crore doses in May, 12 crore doses will be available by the end of June as the revised guidelines for vaccination come into effect from Monday, where states will no longer be involved in vaccine procurement from open market.

“The conservative estimate of availability of doses for July will be approximately 13.5 crore,” a source said. “May was a critical month from the point of view of vaccine supply — in April-May, vaccine manufacturers were augmenting capacity. They have done this to almost 50 percent, and the remaining augmentation will be done by June-end. The results can be seen in July-August — more in August, but significant also in July.”

Also Read |From Corbevax to Covovax: All you need to know about India’s new Covid-19 vaccines
Sources also said that results of ramping up of Covaxin production will start showing in August. With manufacturer Bharat Biotech having begun augmentation, sources said 2.5 crore doses will be available in July. “The revised guidelines, along with enhanced production capacity, will show an accelerated speed as well as accelerated coverage, because in effect vaccine doses are now free for all age groups at government vaccination sites,” a source said.

Under the new guidelines, states will aggregate the demand of private hospitals, keeping in view equitable distribution between large and small private hospitals and regional balance.

On Sunday, it is learnt, the Centre will hold a meeting with private hospitals — the first of its kind — on facilitating supply of vaccines to small private facilities and their payment through the National Health Authority’s (NHA) electronic platform.

“At one point, there were 8,000 vaccination sites at private hospitals from January and April,” the source said. “That number fell to 1,700 in May. There was greater participation earlier because small hospitals were receiving doses from the Centre by depositing Rs 100 in the NHA account. In May, they had to negotiate directly, which was very difficult. Now states have done aggregation, which will enable them again to be part of the vaccination drive.”

“We will have an interaction with private hospitals tomorrow (Sunday). This will also lead to greater speed and coverage,” the source added.

The Centre procured 100-percent doses between January 16 and April 30 this year and provided them free of cost to states to administer vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers, and everyone above 45 years. From May 1, states and private hospitals were allowed to procure 50 percent doses from the open market to vaccinate people in the 18-44 age group.

From Monday, the Centre will exclusively procure 75 percent vaccine doses and distribute them free to the states to vaccinate everyone above the age of 18. The decision came after several states communicated to the Union government that they prefer going back to the centralised procurement system, as many of them were facing difficulties in managing funding, procurement, and logistics of vaccines.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/production-ramped-up-13-5-cr-jabs-will-be-available-in-july-7366917/
Click to expand...

India vaccinate roughly 3.5Million people on daily basis, which is not even 0.5% of the population. India needs to ramp up vaccination to at least 20-25M doses on daily basis. India needs to vaccinate roughly 2.1B doses to vaccinate entire population. At current speed, it will take more than 2 years to achieve that goal which would make it even harder if entire population has to be given yearly booster dose.
 
CanadianG00se said:
That means 8% people will get hospitalized(For India, 8% could still mean thousands of people) with serious covid complications. As per latest reports from UK, from that 8%, approximately 30% will be at risk of losing their lives.
I think India should offer mRNA vaccines to vulnerable populations giving them more protection against variants like Delta.
Click to expand...

It doesn't work like that.

The hospitalization rate of covid patients is about 5 per cent. So no, 8 per cent wont be hospitalized.
 
Centre To Increase Pace Of Covid Vaccination In July-August: Amit Shah

Amit Shah said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to provide free vaccine against COVID-19 to people aged 18 and above, "we will fast achieve the goal of inoculating almost everyone".


Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination against COVID-19 in July and August.
Talking to reporters after visiting a vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, Mr Shah said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to provide free vaccine against COVID-19 to people aged 18 and above, "we will fast achieve the goal of inoculating almost everyone".

"The central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination in July and August," he added.

Mr Shah said from Monday morning, an important journey has started in the fight against COVID-19 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The PM had taken an important decision that the Centre will provide free of cost vaccination to those aged 18 and above, he said while congratulating Modi for it.

In a country having such huge population, providing free vaccination is a big decision, Mr Shah said.

On the International Yoga Day on Monday, the drive of free vaccine for all is being launched across the country, Mr Shah said, adding that India was already on top in the vaccination programme.

"Now we will reach the target to vaccinate almost all very fast," he said after visiting the vaccination centre at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya hall in Bodakdev area of Ahmedabad.

Mr Shah also appealed to citizens to get vaccinated against the coronavirus at the earliest.

"Those who have taken their first dose, should also get their second shot if it is due as per the government's guideline. Only after receiving both the doses can we make ourselves safe against coronavirus," Mr Shah said.

He was accompanied by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.
Mr Shah, who represents the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, is on a two-day visit to his home state.

He started his tour with a visit to the vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, where the local civic body aims to reach a daily inoculation target of one lakh starting Monday.

The Union minister is also scheduled to visit two more such centres in the state capital Gandhinagar.

From Monday, the Gujarat government also launched a spot registration facility for beneficiaries in the age group of 18 to 44 years along with a mega vaccination drive with the aim of increasing the pace of inoculation.

The state government said the aim of the special drive is to generate awareness among members of the public about the importance of vaccination in the fight against coronavirus.

The mega drive was launched with a ''vaccine utsav'' (vaccine festival) organised in the presence of various ministers, leaders and dignitaries across 1,025 such centres in 33 districts and 8 municipal areas of the state, the government said in a release.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-union-home-minister-amit-shah-says-centre-to-increase-pace-of-covid-19-vaccination-in-july-august-2468876
 
OMB said:
Centre To Increase Pace Of Covid Vaccination In July-August: Amit Shah

Amit Shah said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to provide free vaccine against COVID-19 to people aged 18 and above, "we will fast achieve the goal of inoculating almost everyone".


Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination against COVID-19 in July and August.
Talking to reporters after visiting a vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, Mr Shah said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to provide free vaccine against COVID-19 to people aged 18 and above, "we will fast achieve the goal of inoculating almost everyone".

"The central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination in July and August," he added.

Mr Shah said from Monday morning, an important journey has started in the fight against COVID-19 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The PM had taken an important decision that the Centre will provide free of cost vaccination to those aged 18 and above, he said while congratulating Modi for it.

In a country having such huge population, providing free vaccination is a big decision, Mr Shah said.

On the International Yoga Day on Monday, the drive of free vaccine for all is being launched across the country, Mr Shah said, adding that India was already on top in the vaccination programme.

"Now we will reach the target to vaccinate almost all very fast," he said after visiting the vaccination centre at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya hall in Bodakdev area of Ahmedabad.

Mr Shah also appealed to citizens to get vaccinated against the coronavirus at the earliest.

"Those who have taken their first dose, should also get their second shot if it is due as per the government's guideline. Only after receiving both the doses can we make ourselves safe against coronavirus," Mr Shah said.

He was accompanied by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.
Mr Shah, who represents the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, is on a two-day visit to his home state.

He started his tour with a visit to the vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, where the local civic body aims to reach a daily inoculation target of one lakh starting Monday.

The Union minister is also scheduled to visit two more such centres in the state capital Gandhinagar.

From Monday, the Gujarat government also launched a spot registration facility for beneficiaries in the age group of 18 to 44 years along with a mega vaccination drive with the aim of increasing the pace of inoculation.

The state government said the aim of the special drive is to generate awareness among members of the public about the importance of vaccination in the fight against coronavirus.

The mega drive was launched with a ''vaccine utsav'' (vaccine festival) organised in the presence of various ministers, leaders and dignitaries across 1,025 such centres in 33 districts and 8 municipal areas of the state, the government said in a release.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-union-home-minister-amit-shah-says-centre-to-increase-pace-of-covid-19-vaccination-in-july-august-2468876
Click to expand...

So, this doesn't tell us how many vaccine doses will be available? or did I miss something ?
 
India Vaccinates 50 lkh people till 4pm; Highest Single Day World Record and Still time to call it a day.
 
Completed 7.6 Million vaccinations in a day.

MP Set new record with 1.37 Million vaccinations.
 
80+ lakhs vaccine doses administered by India on 21st June.

This is larger than the combined population of 61 countries of the world !!

Yes, that is what the Largest Vaccination Drive in the world means.
 
King_Kohli said:
80+ lakhs vaccine doses administered by India on 21st June.

This is larger than the combined population of 61 countries of the world !!

Yes, that is what the Largest Vaccination Drive in the world means.
Click to expand...

I think China is administering over 25M/day. They have administered over 1B vaccine already.

India still have long way to go. In order to meet 2021 target, India needs to vaccinate 25-30M a day.
If all states and local government in India work together then I have no doubt it can be done.
 
Covaxin shows 77.8% efficacy in phase 3 trial data in review by SEC

According to data submitted, Covaxin has shown efficacy of 77.8% from trial conducted on 25,800 subjects, according to reports.

Bharat Biotech's vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), Covaxin, has shown efficacy of 77.8% from trial conducted on 25,800 subjects, according to reports.

The pharmaceutical firm had submitted phase 3 trial data for the vaccine to the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI).

The efficacy rate came out on Tuesday after DGCI's subject expert committee (SEC) met and discussed the results.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/covaxin-shows-77-8-efficacy-in-phase-3-trial-data-in-review-by-sec-101624355106730.html
 
CanadianG00se said:
I think China is administering over 25M/day. They have administered over 1B vaccine already.

India still have long way to go. In order to meet 2021 target, India needs to vaccinate 25-30M a day.
If all states and local government in India work together then I have no doubt it can be done.
Click to expand...

and this has lead to a lot of speculation, seems that they knew a lot about this virus and its vaccine
 
If India's Zydus Cadila Shot Is Cleared, It Will Set A Global First

Zydus' vaccine "will certainly help in ramping up India's overall vaccination drive as it would be the fifth approved," Prashant Khadayate, a pharmaceutical industry analyst at GlobalData said.

Bengaluru: Indian drugmaker Zydus Cadila said on Thursday it has applied for emergency use approval of its three-dose COVID-19 vaccine that showed efficacy of 66.6% in an interim study and could become the second home-grown shot if regulators consent.
Although coronavirus infections have dropped from a devastating peak in April and May that strained healthcare facilities, experts have warned of a third wave, saying widespread vaccination is one of the best pandemic defences.

Zydus' vaccine "will certainly help in ramping up India's overall vaccination drive as it would be the fifth approved," Prashant Khadayate, a pharmaceutical industry analyst at GlobalData said.

Zydus said the efficacy result is based on an interim analysis of a late-stage trial of more than 28,000 volunteers nationwide, including nearly 1,000 subjects in the age group of 12 to 18.

The drugmaker said it was evaluating a two-dose regimen for the shot.

If approved, ZyCoV-D will be the world's first DNA vaccine, Zydus said, as it makes use of a portion of the genetic code - DNA or RNA - in the SARS-CoV-2 virus to stimulate an immune response against its spike protein.

DNA vaccines differ from other approved COVID-19 shots, which are based on new mRNA technology such as in those from Pfizer and Moderna, and established technology like viral vectors, as with AstraZeneca.

Zydus, which aims to produce up to 120 million doses annually, said its study coincided with the peak of India's second wave of infections and affirmed its efficacy against new mutants, especially the Delta variant.

It did not, however, disclose its efficacy against those variants.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/if-indias-zydus-cadila-shot-is-cleared-it-will-set-a-global-first-2476708
 
Target Achieved, Says Serum Institute As Covishield Production Ramped Up

Sources say in addition to Covishield, Serum Institute is presently focused on the rollout of the Covovax (Novavax) vaccine.

The production of Covishield has been ramped up to around 110 million doses this month, Serum Institute of India (SII) sources said today as the country struggles with the supply of vaccines to inoculate enough to stave off a third wave of Covid.
"The commitment to produce 100-110 million doses of Covishield by July has been achieved," Serum Institute sources told NDTV.

Covishield and Covaxin are the bedrock of India's vaccination effort, which has been marked by delays, policy changes and supply constraints.

Sources say in addition to Covishield, Serum Institute is presently focused on the rollout of the Covovax (Novavax) vaccine, which is yet to get Emergency Use Authorisation, and Russia's Sputnik V, which should be available in numbers from September.

The Centre says it hopes to vaccinate all adults by the year-end.

However, Delhi and Maharashtra are among states that have flagged vaccine shortage after the central government launched a new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination on June 21. Under the new rules, the Centre provides vaccines free-of-cost to states.

Many government-run vaccination centres in Delhi were closed today because the city has run out of its Covishield stocks.

There has been a decline in average daily inoculations since June 21 across the country, government data showed on Monday.

According to the data available on the CoWIN platform, an average of 61.14 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered daily in the week from June 21-27 in India, which dropped to 41.92 lakh doses daily in the subsequent week of June 28-July 4. In the week from July 5 to July 11, the daily average vaccine doses number further dipped to 34.32 lakh doses.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/110-million-covishield-doses-produced-in-july-says-serum-institute-2485589
 
Slow pace of Covid-19 vaccination by private centres ‘cause of serious worry’: Centre tells some states

The Union health ministry directed the states to review the status and progress of Covid-19 vaccine procurement by the private centres on a daily basis.

The Union ministry of health and family welfare on Wednesday told the health secretaries of 15 states and Union territories (UT) that the slow pace of Covid-19 vaccination by private centres in these states is a “cause of serious worry.” The ministry also directed the states to review the status and progress of Covid-19 vaccine procurement by the private centres on a daily basis.

“Highlighting the slow pace of vaccination through the PCVCs, States were advised to review status and progress on vaccine procurement by PCVCs on a daily basis. They were advised to ensure speedy and effective coordination between the PCVCs and the vaccine manufacturers to remove bottlenecks, if any. It was pointed out that advance visibility of the COVID vaccines to the States by the Union Health Ministry is in turn required to be communicated to the citizens by States,” the ministry said in a statement. The remarks followed a high-level meeting chaired by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan with the health secretaries of 15 states and UTs.

Health secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana along with nodal officers from Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute of India were present in the meeting.

The ministry highlighted four main concerns to the states and also gave related advisories to the states and UTs. It said that many private vaccination centres have not placed an order for the number of Covid-19 vaccines allocated for them. It also advised the states to review the status daily and place orders quickly with the vaccine makers.

The health ministry noted that the payment towards the quantity of vaccines ordered has not been made in some cases where the order has already been placed while in other cases no payment has been made for the entire order. States and private centres were asked to reduce the gap between the quantity procured and the delay in payment.

While in some cases the quantity of vaccines paid for has not been fully lifted by the states and the private centres and in some other cases, the quantity procured has not been fully administered, the ministry further said. In these scenarios, the ministry asked the states to ensure that all doses dispatched were procured and all unutilised doses to be administered quickly.

“States were again informed of the usage of the CoWIN platform as the backend management tool for the order placements. States and UTs are required to aggregate this demand,” the ministry further said in its statement. It also said that while five workshops have already been organised to orient nodal officers and private centres for using the CoWin platform, it asked the states to indicate if more such sessions were needed.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/slow-pace-of-covid-19-vaccination-by-private-centres-cause-of-serious-worry-centre-tells-some-states-101626258432749.html
 
India has administered at least 455 million Covid vaccine doses till now

India had administered at least 455 million Covid vaccine doses by Thursday, July 29. Delhi high court cautioned the city’s drug control department against prosecuting only certain people who distributed oxygen cylinders during the second wave. The court slammed the department for initiating action against AAP MLA Praveen Kumar.

india vaccine.jpg

Meanwhile, by 7pm on Thursday, 455,502,438 vaccine doses were given across the states and UTs. As many as (4,652,914 doses were administered on the day.

In the 18-45 age group, 2,283,018 were given the first dose while 434,990 doses were given as the second dose on the day. Cumulatively, 146,622,393 persons in this age group across the country have received their first dose and 7,651,261 have received their second dose since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive.

Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have administered more than 10 million vaccine doses in the 18-45 years age group. Also, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have vaccinated more than 1 million beneficiaries of the age group with the first dose.

India reported 44,230 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the daily positivity rate to 2.44%, said the ministry of health and family welfare on Friday.

With these new cases, the active tally has climbed to 405,155 and constitutes 1.28% of total cases. The country’s cumulative Covid tally has reached 31,572,344.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-has-administered-at-least-455-million-covid-vaccine-doses-till-now-101627641910603.html
 
India’s cumulative COVID19 vaccination coverage exceeds 50.86 cr

About 16,11,590 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage hasexceeded 50.86 Cr. Cumulatively, 50,86,64,759 vaccine doses have been administered through 58,79,068 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today. 16,11,590 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

These include:

HCWs 1st Dose 1,03,32,881 2nd Dose 79,82,037
FLWs 1st Dose 1,82,17,136 2nd Dose 1,17,58,909
Age Group 18-44 years 1st Dose 17,67,66,853 2nd Dose 1,20,24,776
Age Group 45-59 years 1st Dose 11,18,71,679 2nd Dose 4,26,95,084
Over 60 years 1st Dose 7,84,79,044 2nd Dose 3,85,36,360
Total 50,86,64,759
The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination has commenced from 21st June, 2021. The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country.

In another positive development, India’s recovery rate has reached 97.40% in the last 24 hours. This is the highest ever recovery rate achieved by India since the start of the pandemic.

Out of the people infected since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,11,39,457people have already recovered from COVID-19 and 39,686patients have recovered in the last 24 hours.

India has reported 35,499daily new cases in the last 24 hours.

Less than 50,000 Daily New Cases have been reported since forty-three consecutive days. This is a result of sustained and collaborative efforts by the Centre and the States/UTs.

India’s Active Caseload today stands at 4,02,188and active cases now constitute 1.26% of the country’s total Positive Cases.

With substantially ramped up testing capacity across the country, a total of 13,71,871tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the country. Cumulatively, India has conducted over 48 crore (48,17,67,232) tests so far.

While on one side testing capacity has been enhanced across the country, Weekly Positivity Rate currently stands at 2.35% and the Daily Positivity rate stands at 2.59% today. Daily Positivity rate has remained below 3% forlast 14 days and below 5% for 63 consecutive days now.

https://healthinfive.com/indias-cumulative-covid19-vaccination-coverage-exceeds-50-86-cr/
 
India has administered over 520 million Covid doses till now

By 7pm on Wednesday, 523,253,450 vaccine doses were given across the states and UTs. As many as 4,002,634 doses were administered on the day. Of this, 2,907,836 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 1,094,798 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine

India had administered at least 520 million Covid vaccine doses by Wednesday, August 11. Delhi didn’t record even one Covid fatality on the day, the seventh time since the fourth wave of the pandemic hit the national Capital. It did report 37 fresh cases while 24 patients recovered during the same 24-hr period.

Meanwhile, by 7pm on Wednesday, 523,253,450 vaccine doses were given across the states and UTs. As many as 4,002,634 doses were administered on the day. Of this, 2,907,836 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 1,094,798 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine.

In the 18-45 age group, 2,058,952 were given the first dose while 430,665 doses were given as the second dose on the day. Cumulatively, 184,543,154 persons in this age group across the country have received their first dose and 13,404,637 have received their second dose since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive.


Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have administered more than 10 million vaccine doses in the 18-45 years age group. Also, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have vaccinated more than 1 million beneficiaries of the age group with the first dose.

Meanwhile, the country logged 41,195 new cases, taking the total tally to 32,077,706, while the active cases increased to 387,987, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-has-administered-over-520-million-covid-doses-till-now-101628757513913.html
 
More than half of India's eligible population - some 473 million people - have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, official data says.

India has been ramping up its vaccination drive as it races to stave off a third wave of infections.

It has so far given more than 610 million doses of three approved vaccines - Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V.

The government aims to vaccinate all Indians by the end of this year.

India took 19 days to administer the last 100 million doses, compared to 85 days to give the first 100 million jabs, the government said.

But only about 15% of eligible adults have been fully vaccinated since the beginning of the drive in January.

Regional disparities persist as well with larger and poorer states lagging behind smaller and richer states.

India has reported more than 32 million Covid cases, second only to the US. The country is also only the third in the world to record more than 400,000 deaths - behind the US and Brazil.

How is India's rollout going?

Since 16 January, India has administered more than 610 million doses.

Some 473 million people have received the first dose and another 138 million or so have received both doses so far.

India has been giving 5.3 million jabs daily on an average for about a month now, according to Dr Rijo M John, a health economist.

"This daily average is far from what is required to finish the drive off this year. I don't see the target of vaccinating all adults by this year-end materialising," Dr John told the BBC.

Experts say India needs to administer more than 10 million doses a day to fully inoculate all eligible adults by the end of this year.

Much will depend on levels of vaccine hesitancy and the availability of doses in the coming months.

"The major roadblock will continue to be supply itself for the foreseeable future," Dr John said.

India's daily case count has been dropping - it has been reporting less than 40,000 new daily cases in the past month and most of them from the southern state of Kerala.

But doctors say that a third wave is likely given that the country has fully reopened even as the threat of new variants looms large.

While the vaccination drive has gained momentum, experts worry about a gender gap - government data shows 6% fewer women are getting vaccinated. This is especially true in rural India where women have limited access to the internet and are hesitant or scared to take the vaccine.

Although a higher number of doses are being administered daily in rural areas, the share of population being vaccinated in urban areas is still greater.

Most countries, especially those in the developing world, have struggled to access vaccines - a challenge that India, as the world's largest vaccine maker, didn't expect to face.

But Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government didn't place orders from vaccine makers early enough - and a devastating second wave in April pushed them to expand the drive too quickly to the entire adult population, which is nearly a billion.

In June, the government told the Supreme Court that 1.35 billion doses will become available between August and December. It would take about 1.8 billion doses to vaccinate all eligible adults in India.

Which vaccines is India using?

India is using three vaccines - the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, known locally as Covishield; Covaxin by Indian firm Bharat Biotech; and Russian-made Sputnik V.

India recently gave boost to its vaccination programme by approving its first vaccine for those under 18.

The three-dose ZyCoV-D vaccine prevented symptomatic disease in 66% of those vaccinated, according to an interim study quoted by the vaccine maker Cadila Healthcare. The ZyCoV-D vaccine is also the world's first DNA vaccine against Covid-19.

The government has also authorised Indian pharma company Cipla to import Moderna's vaccine, which has shown nearly 95% efficacy against Covid-19. But it's not clear yet how many doses will be made available to India.

Several more vaccines are in various stages of approval.

Vaccination is voluntary. More than 57,000 centres, mostly state-run, are offering jabs, but people can also pay for a dose at private facilities.

The government is spending around $5bn to provide free doses at state-run clinics, public health centres and hospitals

Have there been 'adverse events' after vaccination?

People can experience side effects from vaccines.

India has a 34-year-old surveillance programme for monitoring "adverse events" following immunisation. Experts say a failure to transparently report such incidents could lead to fear-mongering around vaccines.

India has reported more than 23,000 "adverse events" after vaccination as of 17 May. Most of them were classified as "minor" - anxiety, vertigo, giddiness, dizziness, fever and pain.

It also examined 700 cases of "severe adverse events" and reported 488 deaths until mid-June.

But the government said the this did not mean they were due to vaccination, adding that "the risk of dying following vaccination is negligible compared to the known risk of dying due to Covid-19 disease".

BBC
 
India hits a vaccination milestone, giving at least one shot to more than half of its population

The country has given at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot to more than half of the eligible population.

India has given at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot to more than half of the eligible population, a milestone in a country that initially struggled to roll out enough doses for its 1.4 billion people.

The country’s health ministry said it was ramping up its vaccination drive and working with regional governments to accelerate the pace of inoculation as they race to stave off another wave of infections.

India is still recording about 33,000 cases a day. With more than 32 million total Covid-19 cases, the country is second only to the United States in terms of number of cases and the third to record more than 400,000 total deaths. Scientists widely believe the official figures vastly undercount the toll.

So far, the country has fully vaccinated around 15 percent of the eligible population since the beginning of the drive in January. Health officials said they have given more than 610 million doses of three approved vaccines.

India’s vaccine supplies will get a major lift when the country begins using Zydus Cadila’s DNA-based vaccine beginning in the first week of October. Health ministry officials say over 473 million people have received the first dose and another 138 million have received both shots. That covers just over 50 percent of India’s adult population based on the country’s projected midyear count for 2020.

The country’s daily vaccination drive also ramped up in August with over 5.2 million administered, compared with 4.3 million shots administered in July.

Government officials have said they are aiming to vaccinate all Indians by the end of this year. But some Indian states are still struggling with the vaccination drive because of the resource disparities and the sheer size of the population.

Officials are cautioning against relaxing attitudes, one reason behind the devastating second wave of the coronavirus that struck earlier this year.

Balram Bhargava, the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, a top government science body, said on Thursday that although vaccines reduce the severity and reduce chances of hospitalization, people should continue with wearing masks. Relaxed attitudes, he said, could have disastrous consequences.

“Only fully vaccinated people should attend social gatherings,” he said. “The second wave is still on in India. In some states, an upsurge is being observed in a few districts.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/world/india-covid-vaccination-rate-milestone.html
 
Covid-19: Nadda congratulates Himachal govt for 100% vaccination of adults

On Monday, Himachal Pradesh recorded 96 cases of Covid-19, which pushed it's tally to to 2,13,341. The death toll climbed to 3,579 as three more people succumbed to the infection, according to state health department.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Jagat Prakash Nadda congratulated Himachal Pradesh government for inoculating all the adults of the state with at least one dose of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine. Nadda said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is witnessing the world's fastest vaccination drive.

"Himachal has become the first state in the country, which administered first dose of corona vaccine to every adult citizen. I congratulate the people and the government of Himachal Pradesh for this achievement. Under the leadership of respected prime minister [MENTION=140582]Naren[/MENTION]dramodi, India's vaccination campaign is the fastest in the world," according to the translation BJP chief's tweet. He is a member of Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh.

The Himachal Pradesh government announced achieving the milestone on Sunday.

"The state has completed the first dose of the vaccination to people of 18 plus age group with 100 per cent completion and it aims to complete hundred per cent vaccination of both the doses by November 30, 2021," said the state's health minister Dr Rajiv Saizal.

The health minister also said that the state government will organise a special virtual event where PM Modi would interact with beneficiaries and health care workers of the state government.

On Monday, Himachal Pradesh recorded 96 cases of Covid-19, which pushed it's tally to to 2,13,341. The death toll climbed to 3,579 as three more people succumbed to the infection, according to state health department.

The number of active Covid-19 cases in Himachal Pradesh stands at 1,643, the official said.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/covid19-nadda-congratulates-himachal-govt-for-100-vaccination-of-adults-101630408000251.html
 
Mumbai becomes first district to administer 1 crore Covid vaccine doses and all the latest news

Mumbai, meanwhile, reported 422 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, the third straight day of more than 400 infections, and three fresh fatalities. The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said with these additions, the overall tally rose to 7,45,434, while the death toll jumped to 15,987.

Mumbai became the first district in the country to reach the milestone of 1 crore Covid-19 vaccination mark. According to data uploaded on the CoWIN portal, Mumbai has administered vaccine doses to 1,00,63,497 people. Out of these, 72,75,134 have received the first dose, while 27,88,363 have got both.

The portal further showed that the vaccination drive is being carried out at 507 sites in Mumbai district. Out of these, 325 are government centres, while 182 are being operated by private hospitals.

In the last 30 days, the highest number of Covid-19 vaccines were administered on August 27 when 1,77,017 people were inoculated. This was followed by 1,63,775 doses on August 21 and 1,53,881 doses on August 23, according to the CoWIN portal.

Mumbai, meanwhile, reported 422 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, the third straight day of more than 400 infections, and three fresh fatalities. The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said with these additions, the overall tally rose to 7,45,434, while the death toll jumped to 15,987.

On September 1 and 2, the city had reported 416 and 441 Covid-19 cases, respectively.

Mumbai has been witnessing a steady rise in Covid-19 cases since recording 190 infections on August 16, the lowest daily count since April 2020. As the daily infections dipped, the case doubling rate improved to more than 2,000 days.

According to BMC official, Mumbai is left with 3,532 active Covid-19 cases.

This year, Mumbai had reported the highest daily cases at 11,163 on April 4, while most deaths at 90 were recorded on May 1 during the second wave of the pandemic.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/mumbai-becomes-first-district-to-administer-1-crore-covid-vaccine-doses-101630733854547.html
 
‘Come, Make in India’: PM Modi’s message for vaccine manufacturers across the world

Addressing the 76th UNGA summit, PM Modi said, "I also invite vaccine manufacturers from all over the world today to- Come, Make Vaccine in India."

United Nations: Mourning the loss of lives lost due to the global coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated India's commitment to start giving vaccines to needy persons in other countries, even as he gave a clarion call to manufacturers to "Come, Make Vaccine in India".

"For the last one-and-a-half years, the whole world is facing the biggest pandemic in 100 years. I pay homage to all those who lost their lives in such a terrible pandemic and extend my condolences to the families," Modi said, addressing the high-level 76th United Nations General Assembly session here.

India's vaccine delivery platform - COWIN, is providing digital support for hundreds of millions of vaccine doses in a single day, he said.

India had stopped the export of COVID-19 vaccines after the second wave of the pandemic hit the country hard in April this year.

On Monday, India said it will resume export of surplus COVID-19 vaccines in the fourth quarter of 2021 under the ''Vaccine Maitri'' programme and to meet its commitment to the COVAX global pool.

"India, which lives on Sewa Paramo Dharma (service is the main duty), is engaged in vaccination development and manufacturing despite limited resources. I want to inform UNGA that India has developed the world's first DNA vaccine, which can be administered to all people above the age of 12 years," Modi said at the UNGA.

"Another mRNA vaccine is in its late stages of development. Scientists in India are also engaged in the development of a nasal vaccine for Corona. Realising its responsibility towards humanity, India has once again started giving vaccines to the needy of the world. I also invite vaccine manufacturers from all over the world today to- Come, Make Vaccine in India," the prime minister said.

According to Johns Hopkins university data, the deadly virus has so far infected 231,154,501 people and killed 4,737,927 globally.

https://zeenews.india.com/india/come-make-in-india-pm-modi-s-message-for-vaccine-manufacturers-across-world-2397127.html
 
Giving figure as a percentage of population is misleading because the vaccine is being administered only to eligible 18 PLUS population.

And India - as also Pakistan - has a larger share of under 18 population than most countries, especially ageing nations of EU and Japan.

India has a population of approx 1.4 billion but the eligible 18 plus population is 930 million.
 
AMSS said:
Giving figure as a percentage of population is misleading because the vaccine is being administered only to eligible 18 PLUS population.

And India - as also Pakistan - has a larger share of under 18 population than most countries, especially ageing nations of EU and Japan.

India has a population of approx 1.4 billion but the eligible 18 plus population is 930 million.
Click to expand...

In the 2010 Census, the number of people under age 18 was 74.2 million (24.0 percent of the total population).
 
On High Fuel Prices, Minister Says "You Must Have Taken Free Vaccine"

Tinsukia (Assam): Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli has compared the rising price of petrol with that of packaged mineral water and said that the price of such water is more.

He also said that taxes on petroleum products funded free COVID-19 vaccines provided by the government to people.

The minister, who interacted with media persons here on Saturday, said that the price of petrol is not high but taxes are imposed and this is also a means of raising resources.

The minister said Assam is among states that has least VAT (value-added tax) on petrol.

"The price of petrol is not high, there is tax involved in it. The price of (packaged mineral) water is higher than that of fuel. The price of petrol is ₹ 40, the Assam government imposes ₹ 28 VAT, the Petroleum Ministry imposes ₹ 30, it becomes ₹ 98. But if you drink Himalaya water, then the cost of a bottle is Rs.100. The cost of water is more, not of oil," he said.

The minister said that the money for the free vaccines comes from the taxes that the central government collects.

"Fuel prices aren't high but include the tax levied. You must've taken a free vaccine, where will the money come from? You haven't paid the money, this is how it was collected," he said.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/on-...re-will-money-for-free-jabs-come-from-2572173
 
Kind of verbal jugglery these guys indulge in to shield their master from any kind of criticism!
 
Good news for Diwali

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"> WHO has granted emergency use listing (EUL) to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVAXIN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVAXIN</a>® (developed by Bharat Biotech), adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for the prevention of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a>. <a href="https://t.co/dp2A1knGtT">pic.twitter.com/dp2A1knGtT</a></p>— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1455869992965181441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
New Delhi: On completion of one year of India's vaccination drive, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday called it the "most successful in the world". He also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching the campaign last year.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Mandaviya said, "Today the world's largest vaccination campaign completes one year. This campaign started under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji with 'Sabke Prayas' is the most successful vaccination campaign in the world today."

"I congratulate all the health workers, scientists and countrymen," he further tweeted in Hindi.

India’s cumulative Covid-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 156.76 crore. More than 66 lakh vaccine doses have been administered in the last 24 hours.

Mansukh Mandaviya also shared a graphical chart showing how India's vaccination drive began and managed to administer more than 150 crore doses in a year's time.

"Have a look at the journey of #1YearOfVaccineDrive, that gives glimpses of the nation's collective fight against #COVID19 under the visionary and inspiring leadership of PM Narendra Modi Ji," he tweeted.

The nationwide Covid-19 vaccination started on January 16, 2021. The new phase of universalization of Covid-19 vaccination commenced from June 21, 2021.

The vaccination drive has been ramped up through the availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain.

Meanwhile, India reported 2,71,202 new Covid-19 cases, 314 deaths and 1,38,331 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the ministry said.

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/...-calls-it-most-successful-in-the-world/849843
 
 
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