Page 2 - Coronavirus Vaccine

Govt issues fresh Covid advisory; Delhi hospitals told to test, train staff

With new Covid sub variants detected, Centre asks hospitals to ensure bed, oxygen, and vaccine readiness, conduct genome sequencing, and report ILI/SARI cases on health portals

NB.1.8.1, LF.7 variants of Covid detected in India: INSACOG data

One case of the newly emerging COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 and four instances of the LF.7 type have been detected in India, according to INSACOG data. As of May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as Variants Under Monitoring, not as Variants of Concern or Variants of Interest. But these are the variants that are reportedly driving the rise in Covid cases in China and parts of Asia. According to data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), one case of NB.1.8.1 was identified in April in Tamil Nadu and four cases of LF.7 were detected in Gujarat in May. In India, the most common variant remains JN.1, comprising 53 per cent of samples tested, followed by BA.2 (26 per cent) and other Omicron sublineages (20 per cent). Though WHO's preliminary risk assessment classifies NB.1.8.1 as posing a low public health risk globally, its spike protein mutations such as A435S, V445H, and T478I suggest increased transmissibility and immun

FDA may change Covid-19 booster rules from 2025: What it means for you

The US Food and Drug Administration may limit Covid-19 boosters shots to high-risk groups from 2025; Pfizer reviewing proposal as agency seeks new trials, clearer risk labels for younger males

India's Covid-19 response must go beyond vaccines, follow global practices

Several advanced countries are offering annual Covid-19 booster doses, especially to vulnerable groups

Covid-19 cases cross 250 mark in India: Should you worry about JN.1 variant?

Doctors explain what the Covid JN.1 variant is, its symptoms, vaccine protection, testing options, and what precautions Indians should take amid rising cases in Asia

US FDA approves Novavax Covid vaccine with added conditions for use

According to the approval letter, the license restricts the use of the vaccine called Nuvaxovid to individuals aged 65 and older, and those between 12 and 64

Covid-19 plot twist: China claims virus may have emerged from the US

The US not only botched its own response to Covid-19; it also obstructed and sabotaged international cooperation in various ways, allege a white paper released by China

New study finds repeated Covid-19 vaccines are safe for your metabolism

A 16-month Australian study finds no adverse impact of repeated Covid vaccinations on metabolism, inflammation, or cardiovascular markers

FDA review of Novavax Covid-19 vaccine sparks uncertainty about other shots

The Trump administration's effort to impose new requirements on Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine -- the nation's only traditional protein-based option for the coronavirus -- is sowing uncertainty about updates to other vaccines, too. Novavax said on Monday that the Food and Drug Administration was asking the company to run a new clinical trial of its vaccine after the agency grants full approval. The company said it had responded and that it believed its shot remains "approvable". But a weekend post on social media by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary suggested the prospect of needing a new trial before the shots' yearly strain update -- something unlikely to be possible before fall. That's raised questions about whether other vaccines will be caught in the turmoil. "I don't think because there's a strain change that this is a new product," said Dr Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former FDA vaccine chief. If that's the new policy, "you'd always be doing clinical trials and you'd nev

New bat virus HKU5-CoV-2 sparks pandemic fears - Is it the next COVID-19?

China has discovered a new coronavirus in bats that can enter the human body like Covid-19. The new virus, HKU5-CoV, hasn't been detected in humans yet but has been identified in a laboratory

India's vaccine aid during Covid saved many lives, says Guyana minister

Anthony recalled how India did not hoard vaccines like other countries, even when India was itself struggling with Covid management

Covid's lessons ignored: The world risks repeating past mistakes

The vaccines allowed Covid to be treated as an aberration, but we must not forget what it really was: A preview of the kind of planetary challenges that await us

Vietnam launches second trial over Covid-19 flight bribery scandal

The prosecutions are part of a sweeping anti-graft campaign that has touched the highest levels of government, leading to the resignation of two presidents

In relief for investors, Pfizer 2025 profit forecast in line with estimates

Shares of the drugmaker rose nearly 3 per cent to $25.98 in premarket trading after the company also said it was expecting 2025 sales of its Covid-19 vaccine and drug to be consistent

Trump nominees should 'steer clear' of undermining polio vaccine: McConnell

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a childhood polio survivor, said any of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees seeking confirmation should steer clear of efforts to discredit the polio vaccine. Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed they're dangerous, McConnell said in a Friday statement. Anyone seeking the Senate's consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts. The 82-year-old lawmaker's statement appeared to be directed at Trump's nominee for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after a report that one of his advisors filed a petition to revoke approval for the polio vaccine in 2022. It was a sign that Kennedy, who has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism, could face resistance in the soon-to-be GOP-controlled Senate. Mr. Kennedy believes the Polio Vaccine should be available to the public and thoroughly and properly .

ICMR study concluded Covid vaccine didn't increase death risk: Nadda to RS

An ICMR study has conclusively documented that Covid vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults in India, instead lowering their odds, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Past COVID-19 hospitalization, family history of sudden death and certain lifestyle behaviours increased the likelihood of unexplained sudden death, he said responding to a question. He said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed that the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology conducted a study titled 'Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India' -- a 'multicentric matched case-control study' -- at 47 tertiary care hospitals in 19 states and Union Territories during May-August last year. The cases were apparently healthy individuals without any known co-morbidity, who suddenly (less than 24 hours of hospitalisation or seen apparently healthy 24 hours before death) died of ...

Covid a disaster like no other, vaccination saved lives: Centre to SC

The Centre on Tuesday stated in the Supreme Court that the Covid 19 pandemic was "a disaster like no other" and vaccination saved people's lives. The submission was made when a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale was hearing a plea over the alleged vaccine-induced deaths of two women. After additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, said Covid was a disaster like no other, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the women's parents, responded, "We are not contesting that. We do not dispute." The plea, filed by the parents of the two women, claimed after the first dose of their Covishield vaccination, the women suffered severe adverse effects following immunisation (AEFI). Bhati said the apex court had holistically looked into the aspect of Covid vaccination and delivered a verdict dealing with the aspect of AEFI. "Ultimately, it is a question of balancing the equities. Covid was a disaster like no other," she said, "covid vaccination has

Leading docs sign petition for suspension of all Covid-19 mRNA vaccines

Several doctors and healthcare professionals have signed a petition calling for the immediate suspension of all COVID-19 mRNA products because they fear the jabs could be contributing to an alarming rise in excess deaths. A petition known as the HOPE Accord attracting signatures from around the world went online recently to alert the international community on the continued use of the COVID mRNA vaccines. These vaccines, using gene-based technology, were given emergency use authorisation as one of the tools to address the coronavirus pandemic. A growing body of evidence suggests that the widespread rollout of the novel Covid-19 mRNA vaccine products is contributing to an alarming rise in disability and excess deaths, reads the Hope Accord petition. This new technology was granted emergency use authorisation to address a situation that no longer exists. Going forward, the burden of proof falls on those still advocating for these products to compellingly demonstrate that they aren't .

India became 'Pharmacy of the World' during Covid-19: JP Nadda

Union Minister JP Nadda highlights India's commitment to improving global healthcare standards and highlighted the country's contributions to global healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic

What is the new XEC Covid variant? Symptoms, spread, vaccine and prevention

The new Covid variant was initially detected in Germany in June, according to the BBC. Since then, it has been found in several other countries, including the UK, US, Denmark, and more