Page 3 - Coronavirus Vaccine

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

Bharat Biotech partners with Alopexx to develop anti-microbial vaccine

Bharat Biotech on Wednesday announced a collaboration with Alopexx Inc for development and commercialisation of the latter's broad-spectrum anti-microbial vaccine in India and other low income countries. As part of the collaboration, the companies will co-develop and commercialise the vaccine -- AV0328, in India and other licensed territories, Bharat Biotech said in a statement. Alopexx would be entitled to a one-time upfront payment and milestone payments, as well as royalties on future sales of AV0328 in the licensed territories, it added. "Our goal is to develop solutions to reduce anti-microbial resistance through vaccination. This collaboration aligns with our mission to provide safe, affordable, and high-quality vaccines to combat infectious diseases globally," Bharat Biotech Executive Chairman Krishna Ella said. Alopexx CEO Daniel Vlock said, this collaboration brings the company one step closer to addressing the critical need for affordable, broad-spectrum antimicrobial ..

IIL develops live-attenuated, needle-free intranasal Covid-19 vaccine

The contagion still killing 1,700 people every week across the world, says WHO

Shutting down vaccine PSUs will erode capabilities further, says Congress

The Congress on Friday hit out at the government over the Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL) reportedly facing a "grim future", and said shutting down vaccine PSUs will only erode the country's capabilities further. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that the BIBCOL factory in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, that was at the forefront of India's fight against polio before, hasn't produced a single vaccine since December 2022. "Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation (BIBCOL) was set up in the late 1980s, at the personal initiative of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, to make India self-sufficient in the production of oral polio vaccines. It was my good fortune to have been associated with its establishment at Bulandshahr in UP as part of the technology mission on immunisation," Ramesh said in a post on X. But BIBCOL now faces a "grim future in the era of the non-biological PM", h

1.1 mn excess deaths during Covid-19, 8 times more than govt figure: Study

In India, 11.9 lakh excess deaths occurred in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, 17 per cent higher compared to 2019, an international study has found. The estimate is about eight times higher than the official COVID-19 deaths in India, and 1.5 times the World Health Organization's estimates, researchers, including those from the University of Oxford, UK, said. Using data of over 7.65 lakh individuals, the study estimated changes in life expectancy at birth, by gender and social group between 2019 and 2020 in India, a country where one-third of global pandemic excess deaths are thought to have occurred, according to the authors. The data was taken from the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5). The life expectancy in women fell by 3.1 years, while it fell by 2.1 years in men, the authors said. Gender inequalities in healthcare and resource distribution within households could be possible reasons, they said. The patterns contrast with those seen in high-income countries, where .

Risk of developing Long Covid falls, but remains substantial, shows study

The World Health Organization says tens of thousands of Covid cases are being reported globally. The actual number of infections is likely to be significantly higher

EU court criticises Commission over handling of Covid vaccine contracts

The Commission signed deals with COVID vaccine supplies AstraZeneca, Sanofi, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, BioNTech, Pfizer, Moderna and others at the height of the pandemic

Pan India rollout of U-WIN to track routine vaccinations likely by Aug end

The U-WIN portal, a replication of the Covid-19 vaccine management system Co-WIN, is set for a pan-India launch likely by the end of August, aiming to maintain an electronic registry of routine immunisations, official sources said. Currently, U-WIN is in pilot mode across all states and Union Territories, except for West Bengal, which is yet to start uploading data, the sources told PTI, adding that it is still under consideration in the state. The U-WIN platform captures every vaccination event for pregnant women and children under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in the interim Budget for 2024-2025 that U-WIN, along with intensified efforts under Mission Indradhanush, will be rolled out nationwide for managing immunisation. "The U-WIN will ensure timely administration of vaccine doses by digitally recording every vaccination event under the Universal Immunisation Programme among all pregnant women and children aged 0

Pfizer, Moderna Covid vaccine patents battle to continue after UK ruling

Moderna had argued Pfizer and BioNTech copied mRNA advances it had pioneered and patented well before the Covid-19 pandemic began in late 2019

As Covid-19 ticks up, US advisers recommend a fall vaccination campaign

With fresh COVID-19 cases bubbling up in some parts of the country, health officials are setting course for a fall vaccination campaign. An influential government advisory panel on Thursday recommended new shots for all Americans this fall. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must endorse the recommendation. Officials acknowledged the need for vaccinations is not as dire as it was only a few years ago. Most Americans have some degree of immunity from being infected, from past vaccinations or both. COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last month were at about their lowest point since the pandemic first hit the United States in 2020. But immunity wanes, new coronavirus variants keep emerging and there are still hundreds of COVID-19-associated deaths and thousands of hospitalizations reported each week. What's more, health officials have reported upticks this month in COVID-19-associated emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and a pronounced increase i

Macron, African leaders push for vaccines after Covid exposed inequalities

French President Emmanuel Macron is joining several African leaders on Thursday to kick off a planned $1 billion project to accelerate the rollout of vaccines in Africa, after the coronavirus pandemic exposed gaping inequalities in access to them. The launch of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, which will provide financial incentives to vaccine manufacturers, offered a momentary break for Macron from domestic political concerns as legislative elections loom on June 30 and July 7. Many African leaders and advocacy groups say Africa was unfairly locked out of access to COVID-19 treatment tools, vaccines and testing equipment that many richer countries bought up in huge quantities after the pandemic swept the world starting in 2020. WHO, advocacy groups and others want to help Africa get better prepared for the next pandemic, which many health experts say is inevitable. When the coronavirus pandemic began, South Africa was the only country in Africa with any ability to .

Vaccine group Gavi seeks $11.9 bn to immunise world's poorest children

The amount will be finalised at a meeting on Thursday in Paris, where donors will make pledges for the organisation's plan for 2026-2030

US' Kansas sues Pfizer for hiding Covid vaccine risks, making false claims

The lawsuit filed by Kansas, a US state, alleged that Pfizer promoted its vaccine's safety while hiding evidence linking it to pregnancy complications, such as miscarriages, and heart inflammations

Recovery in overseas travel by Chinese lags due to costs, visa snags

The Chinese currency has fallen more than 2% against the dollar since the start of the year, raising costs in yuan terms for Chinese travellers abroad

US govt to fund up to $500 mn for studies on oral, nasal Covid vaccines

The funding is part of Project NextGen, a $5 billion initiative led by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)

World's largest vaccine maker Serum Institute sees demand doubling in 5 yrs

The world's largest vaccine maker currently has the capacity to produce 3 billion doses of all types of vaccines each year, but only sells about 1.5 billion doses annually

Mexico death linked to bird flu strain never before seen in humans: WHO

The current risk posed by the H5N2 virus to the general public is low, according to the WHO, which said no further cases were reported after an investigation

Covid shots should target JN.1, KP.2 subvariants in 2024-25 campaign: USFDA

FDA reviewers said since the difference between JN.1 and newer subvariants such as KP.2 subvariants is not much, it is possible that vaccines developed against JN.1 may adequately protect against KP.2

Covid vaccine maker BioNTech gets $145 mn funding for plant in Africa

A future African network could produce affordable vaccines to fight malaria, mpox, tuberculosis or other health threats, they added