India Coronavirus Dispatch: Centre to buy 300 mn shots from Biological-E

Mumbai holds vaccination camps in housing societies, ICMR researchers say jabs must be free for all, and more-news relevant to India's fight against the pandemic

Over 134,000 fresh cases reported

India reported 134,154 fresh coronavirus infections on Thursday, taking the cumulative caseload to 28.4 million, according to central health ministry data. The country saw 2,887 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 337,989. The active caseload is at 1.7 million, while the total recoveries have surged to 26.4 million. As many as 221 million shots have been administered since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 2.4 million were given on Wednesday. Read more

Centre signs deal with Biological-E for 300 mn Covid vaccine doses

The Centre has signed a deal with Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Biological-E for 300 million shots of its vaccine, a report in The Indian Express said. The shot, which is still in clinical trials, is a RBD protein sub-unit vaccine and is likely to be available in the next few months. The Union Health Ministry will make an advance payment of Rs 1,500 crore to the company. The doses will be manufactured and stockpiled by the firm from August to December 2021. Read more

Covid vaccine must be free for all, ICMR researchers say

Two researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have said Covid vaccines must be made free for everyone across the country to encourage its use and limit fatalities, a report in ThePrint said. The researchers, in an article scheduled to appear in the journal BMJ Global Health this week, also said that approving foreign vaccines that have already been deployed in other countries should be done urgently. Despite international aid and approval of vaccines, the planning around vaccine production and its distribution in India has been poor, the researchers said. “Slow roll out and vaccine shortages have led to complete immunisation of only about 3 per cent of the population,” the authors wrote. Read more

Mumbai holds vaccination camps in housing societies

As door-to-door vaccination drives have been ruled out by the Centre, Mumbai residents have instead turned to organizing vaccine camps in housing societies, a report in ThePrint said. In the past week, several cooperative housing societies across the city have procured vaccines from private hospitals and set up camps within their premises. Clubhouses, open podiums and parking areas have been turned into makeshift vaccination centres, demarcating waiting areas, vaccination areas and observation areas, the report said. Read more

Provide full data on vaccine purchase history: SC to Centre

The central government has been asked by the Supreme Court to disclose detailed data on the purchase history of all Covid vaccines procured so far, including Covaxin, Covishield and Sputnik V. The apex court has also asked the Centre to reveal all documents that reflect its thinking which led to the subsequent vaccination policy. The court has also ordered the Modi government that the data should clarify the dates of all procurement orders for all three vaccines, the number of vaccines ordered as on each date, and the projected date of supply. Read more