COVID: Over 16.42 crore vaccine doses available with states, UTs
India | Dec 16, 2021, 10:52 AM ISTThe Union govt is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID vaccination throughout the country.
The Union govt is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID vaccination throughout the country.
Her son, on December 9, received a message on his mobile phone, through which his mother was registered for Covid vaccination. The message informed that the woman had been vaccinated the second time.
In its latest technical briefing, the agency said that two doses of both the Oxford/AstraZeneca - administered in India as Covishield - and Pfizer/BioNtech vaccines provide "much lower levels" of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the currently dominant Delta variant of COVID-19.
Sharing data about the COVID vaccination levels in other countries, including the US, Germany and France, Mandaviya said that India has been doing well on the vaccination front.
Cancer patients on therapy, transplant patients, AIDS patients, among others, may be given a third dose of the vaccine to improve their protection.
The recommendation came amid demands for a booster dose of covid vaccines by lawmakers during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the pandemic situation in the country.
According to a study published in the Lancet journal, six different Covid boosters are safe and elicit a strong immune response in people who have previously received a two-dose course of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines.
ZyCov-D, which is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be cleared by India's drug regulator for those aged 12 years and above, will only be administered to adults in the seven states as of now, sources said.
In an application to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), Prakash Kumar Singh, the Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) cited that the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has already approved the booster dose of AstraZeneca.
A government body in Britain said they are extending the booster shots to adults aged 18 to 39 years old.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that a decision on booster dose would be taken based on the expert recommendation only, adding that, the priority is to complete the adult vaccination programme with both doses at the earliest.
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that a decision on booster dose would be taken based on the expert recommendation only, adding that, the priority is to complete the adult vaccination programme with both doses at the earliest.
The government, earlier in October, had permitted the SII to export 10 lakh Covishield doses each to Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh under the 'Vaccine Maitri' program.
Angered by her death, a large number the woman's family members went to the Sadar hospital and allegedly damaged some properties, besides assaulting the medical staff including two doctors -- Vikash Kumar, deputy CMO, and Amrit Kumar.
According to the 7 pm provisional report, more than 46 lakh doses were administered on Friday.
The health ministry further said that so far 1,23,19,12,030 vaccine doses have been provided to States, UTs through free of cost channel and through the direct state procurement category.
Bharat Biotech Chairman and MD Krishna Ella said that the company is looking at nasal vaccine as a booster dose as its scaling up capacity is very easy when compared with Covaxin.
Health Ministry said that 16,13,69,661 balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with states, union territories to be administered.
The Union Health Minister also informed that under 'Har ghar dastak', healthcare workers are going to all houses to carry out the vaccination drive. 96 countries have recognised Covaxin & Covishield. People can see the list via CoWIN app.
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