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<ul><li>The Indian government is set to role out the second phase of <keyword id="10820295" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccination-from-march-1">COVID-19 vaccination from March 1</keyword>.</li><li><keyword id="20566" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="senior-citizens">Senior citizens</keyword> above the age of 60 years and those over 45 years old with comorbidities will be eligible for the vaccine. </li><li>The vaccine doses will be given free of cost at government hospitals and will also be available at private clinics, but the price tag for private distribution is yet to be decided.</li></ul>The Indian government announced today that COVID-19 vaccine doses for senior citizens will be available starting March 1. This includes anyone who is above 60 years of age and people above 45 years of age with comorbidities. “The COVID-19 vaccine will be available across 10,000 government facilities and many private hospitals,” said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar during the cabinet briefing. While the vaccine will be given free of cost at government hospitals, the cost of the vaccine at private hospitals is yet to be decided by the Health Ministry. According to Javadekar, the benchmark for this will be decided within the next two to three days after consulting with the vaccine manufacturers. This comes after the first phase of COVID-19 vaccine drive, which was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covid-19-vaccination-in-india-health-ministry-releases-list-of-potential-side-effects/articleshow/80278217.cms">initiated on January 15</a>, has been completed. According to Javadekar, over 1.07 crore people were vaccinated during this time — most of them frontline workers. Among them, around 14 lakh have gotten the second dose as well. As the vaccination reaches out to the masses, the world’s largest vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII) has been asked to focus on India’s needs, tweeted its CEO Adar Poonawalla. <div type="twitter" handle="adarpoonawalla" handlename="Adar Poonawalla" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1302181254746509313/Kn1fTCv6_normal.jpg" favoritecount="28398" retweetcount="2609" status="Dear countries &amp; governments, as you await #COVISHIELD supplies, I humbly request you to please be patient,… https://t.co/tQQsGkPtVW" createdat="1613882072000" id="1363346341275967488"></div> Those opting for the COVID-19 vaccine will either receive SII’s Covishield or Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. The potential, but mild, side effects of the vaccines include headache, fatigue, myalgia (pain in muscle), injection site tenderness, malaise (weakness), pyrexia, chills, arthralgia, and nausea, according to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covid-19-vaccination-in-india-health-ministry-releases-list-of-potential-side-effects/articleshow/80278217.cms">Health Ministry. </a> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/news/covid-19-vaccines-in-india-are-at-risk-of-expiring-while-anxious-senior-citizens-wait-for-their-turn/articleshow/81127178.cms">COVID-19 vaccines in India are at risk of expiring while anxious senior citizens wait for their turn</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/indian-government-wants-its-it-hardware-industry-to-be-as-globally-successful-as-tcs-hcl-tech-and-infosys-announces-pli-scheme-worth-7250-crore/articleshow/81189588.cms">Indian government wants its IT hardware industry to be as globally successful as TCS, HCL Tech and Infosys — announces PLI scheme worth ₹7,250 crore</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/nse-halts-trading-after-data-glitches-stop-nifty50-and-bank-nifty-from-updating/articleshow/81186539.cms">India’s largest stock exchange halts trading after data glitches stop Nifty50 and Bank Nifty from updating</a>

COVID-19 vaccination for senior citizens to start from March 1 in India — will be free at government hospitals

<ul><li>The US, UK, European Union, India and other countries are currently mulling over the approval of COVID-19 vaccines for the masses amid growing concerns over allergic reactions.</li><li>Data shows that more than 1.9 million people in the US have received a Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine dose, but only ten cases of anaphylaxis are under investigation. </li><li>Only one case of anaphylaxis has been reported after receiving Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. </li></ul>More than 1.9 million people in the US have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine dose, and the European Union (EU) has put its program to vaccinate 450 million across the continent into gear. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="79989056" title="COVID-19 vaccination campaign begins in Germany, Greece, Sweden, and other European nations" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> In the US, all eyes are on Pfizer and Moderna. Meanwhile, in the UK, the Pfizer vaccine has been administered to more than 600,000 citizens. All eyes are on the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine’s pending approval. As countries rush to make the vaccine available, there are growing concerns around the reported adverse allergic reactions. Allergic reactions to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine was the first to roll out. It also has the most reports of severe allergic reactions compared to the only other vaccine which has approval so far, Moderna. Federal agencies in the US <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/index.html">are investigating</a> at least ten cases of people who suffered anaphylaxis — a severe allergic reaction — after receiving Pfizer’s vaccine. In Alaska, two cases reported tongue swelling, hoarse voice and difficulty breathing within ten minutes of taking the first dose. At least two health care workers in Britain have also experienced severe allergic reactions after receiving the Pfizer vaccine earlier this month. They are understood to have suffered an ‘anaphylactoid’ reaction, which involves skin rashes, breathlessness and sometimes a drop in blood pressure. This is different from anaphylaxis reactions, which can be fatal if immediate medical aid isn’t administered. The UK has advised that anyone with a history of anaphylaxis to medicine or food shouldn’t get the vaccine. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) officials have discussed some cases. Still, they have not determined whether an ingredient in the vaccine caused allergic responses. However, some <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/scientists-eye-potential-culprit-for-covid-19-vaccine-allergic-reactions-11608901200">researchers believe</a> that polyethylene glycol (PEG) could be responsible. Allergic reactions to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine The first case of an extreme adverse side-effect to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine was reported last week. A doctor in Boston said he developed a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine within minutes of administration. He has a prior history of being allergic to shellfish. David Kibbe, the spokesman for Boston Medical Centre, confirmed the allergic reaction. “He was taken to the Emergency Department, evaluated, treated, observed and discharged. He is doing well today” Kibbe said in a statement. Moderna’s spokesman, Ray Jordan, communicated that the company will not comment on individual cases but that the company’s medical safety team is looking into the issue. To battle the overload of misinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming vaccine, the CDC will be launching a <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations">new portal on the agency website</a> with information on reactions to COVID-19 vaccines starting this week. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/indian-space-startup-skyroot-aerospace-successfully-test-fires-first-solid-rocket-propulsion-stage-demonstrator-called-kalam-5/articleshow/79988975.cms">India’s first-ever privately designed and developed rocket is a step closer to becoming a reality in 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/jack-ma-ant-group-asked-to-overhaul-its-business-model-by-china-central-bank/articleshow/79987683.cms">China's central bank wants Jack Ma's Ant Group to overhaul its business model</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/top-10-most-expensive-natural-disasters-of-2020-in-the-world/slidelist/79986294.cms">Cyclone Amphan was the most expensive cyclone of 2020 and the fourth most expensive natural disaster overall</a>

COVID-19 vaccines and their extreme allergic reactions are far and few between — these are some of the side effects to watch out for

Chinese vaccine maker <keyword id="9550548" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="anhui-zhifei-longcom-biopharmaceutical">Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical</keyword> Co., Ltd. has commenced the phase-3 clinical trials for its Covid-19 vaccine, planning to recruit 29,000 volunteers across the world. This is China's first phase-3 efficacy study for a recombinant subunit COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the company said in a statement on Thursday. Jointly developed by the company and the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the vaccine was issued with a clinical research permit from the National Medical Products Administration on June 19, reports Xinhua news agency. Researchers started phase-1 and phase-2 clinical trials on June 23, which were randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled. Volunteers, aged between 18 and 59 from Beijing, Chongqing and Hunan, received the vaccine to determine whether it is safe for use on humans. The results of the early-stage trials support the safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine, suggesting the potential for further clinical tests. The Chinese drug regulator granted the developers permission to conduct global multi-centre research on November 4. The company said the research, which plans to enroll up to 29,000 adults aged 18 and up, was launched on Wednesday in Xiangtan county, Hunan province. Global trials are expected to begin in Uzbekistan late this month, followed by trials in Indonesia, Pakistan and Ecuador. A Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing plant of the company was put into use in September. The annual production capacity for the Covid-19 vaccine will top 300 million doses, according to the company. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday that China had five Covid-19 vaccine candidates undergoing phase-3 trials in the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Pakistan and Peru. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/mumbais-massive-power-cut-last-month-may-have-been-the-work-of-hackers/articleshow/79318282.cms">Mumbai’s massive power cut last month may have been the work of hackers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/vodafone-idea-shares-jump-after-selling-stake-in-indus-towers-for-3760-crore/articleshow/79316662.cms">Vodafone Idea soars nearly 5% on fund infusion from Indus Towers stake sale</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/pubg-mobile-india-was-supposed-to-launch-today/articleshow/79315462.cms">PUBG Mobile India was rumoured to launch today — but there is no official update from the company</a>

Another Chinese Covid-19 vaccine enters late-stage human trials with a plan to produce 300 million doses annually

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two recipients of Pfizer and BioNTech's <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccine</keyword> had adverse reactions Tuesday, the UK's National Health Service said Wednesday morning.</li><li>Both people, who are recovering, had a history of "significant" allergic reactions.</li><li>As a result, the UK drug regulator has warned people with a history of significant allergic reactions to food, medicine, or vaccines to avoid the Pfizer vaccine in its current state.</li><li>"As is common with new vaccines the MHRA have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination," Stephen Powis, the national medical director for the NHS in England, said.</li></ul>The UK's drug regulator has warned that people with a history of "significant" allergic reactions should not receive Pfizer and BioNTech's <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> vaccine in its current state, after two recipients had reactions.The UK began rolling out the vaccine Tuesday, following <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-and-biontech-covid-19-vaccines-approved-by-uk-regulator-2020-11">approval by its Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on December 2</a>. Two <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> workers with a history of severe allergies reacted to the vaccine, Stephen Powis, the national medical director for the National Health Service in England, <a href="https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/people-history-allergic-reactions-warned-covid-vaccine/">said</a>."As is common with new vaccines the MHRA have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday," Powis said, using an abbreviation for the UK drug regulator.This includes people with a history of reactions to medicines, food, and vaccines, the MHRA said."Any person with a history of a significant allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine, or food (such as previous history of anaphylactoid reaction or those who have been advised to carry an adrenaline autoinjector) should not receive the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine," according to the advice <a href="https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/people-history-allergic-reactions-warned-covid-vaccine/">issued by the MHRA</a>.The people who suffered the reactions were <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-vaccine-uk-regulators-warn-people-with-history-of-significant-allergic-reactions-not-to-have-pfizer-biontech-jab-12155916">NHS staff members</a> who received the shot Tuesday and developed reaction symptoms shortly afterward.Both people's history with allergic reactions was significant enough that they carried adrenaline auto injectors with them, The Independent <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-vaccine-allergic-reactions-uk-b1768530.html">reported</a>."Both are recovering well," Powis added.Authorities have not yet said which element of the vaccine the staff members were allergic to.All regions involved with the vaccination program have been alerted, NHS England said, and starting Wednesday all patients receiving the vaccine will be asked beforehand whether they have a history of allergic reactions.Vaccination should be carried out only in facilities where resuscitation measures are available, the regulator added.A Pfizer representative told <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-vaccine-uk-regulators-warn-people-with-history-of-significant-allergic-reactions-not-to-have-pfizer-biontech-jab-12155916">Sky</a> its vaccine was "well tolerated" during trials with more than 44,000 participants, with "no serious safety concerns.""We have been advised by MHRA of two yellow card reports that may be associated with allergic reaction due to administration of the COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine," the representative said."As a precautionary measure, the MHRA has issued temporary guidance to the NHS while it conducts an investigation in order to fully understand each case and its causes. Pfizer and BioNTech are supporting the MHRA in the investigation."The US could approve the vaccine <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-fda-approve-pfizer-vaccine-biontech-covid-uk-mhra-2020-12">as early as Thursday</a>.

Anyone with a history of 'significant' allergies to food or medicines should avoid the current Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the UK regulator said, after 2 people had reactions

Nearly 4.5 million (44,49,552) beneficiaries have received COVID-19 vaccine shots in merely 19 days, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. India became the fastest country in the world to reach the 4 million COVID-19 vaccination mark, achieving this feat in 18 days. "Many other countries have had a head start of almost 65 days. India launched the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16. The number of beneficiaries being vaccinated every day has also shown a progressive increase," the ministry said. In a span of 24 hours, 3,10,604 people were vaccinated across 8,041 sessions, it said, adding that 84,617 sessions have been conducted so far. India's COVID-19 active caseload has dropped to 1.55 lakh (1,55,025) and comprises just 1.44 per cent of the total infections. The day-on-day change in the number of active cases over the last few weeks depicts the consistent decline in active cases. India's Daily Positivity Rate is 1.82 per cent, as of today, it said. "India has maintained the daily positivity rate below 2 per cent in last few weeks (19 days)," the ministry said. The total recoveries have surged to 1,04,80,455. "The difference in new recoveries outnumbering new cases has also improved the recovery rate to 97.13 per cent. The total recovered cases are 67.6 times the active cases," the ministry highlighted. It said 86.04 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in six states and union territories. At 7,030, Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single day recoveries while 6,380 people recovered in Kerala in a span of 24 hours followed by 533 in Tamil Nadu. The ministry said that 84.67 per cent of the new cases too are from six states and UTs. Kerala continues to report the highest daily new cases at 6,356. It is followed by Maharashtra with 2,992, while Tamil Nadu reported 514 new cases. Six states and UTs also account for 71.03 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties at 30 followed by Kerala (20). West Bengal and Chhattisgarh reported 7 casualties each. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/isro-will-transform-in-2021-as-india-pumps-big-money-to-draw-in-startups-for-the-second-space-age/articleshow/80683054.cms">ISRO will transform in 2021 as India pumps big money to draw in startups for the 'second space age'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/news/new-citizenship-law-pulls-india-down-in-the-democracy-rankings-and-2021-is-not-looking-better/articleshow/80671194.cms">New citizenship law pulls India down in the democracy rankings — and 2021 is not looking better</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/bank-unions-strongly-oppose-divestment-bad-bank-and-fdi-in-insurance-with-threats-to-go-on-strike/articleshow/80668430.cms">Bank unions strongly oppose divestment, a bad bank and threaten to strike</a>

India has administered about 4.5 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 19 days

<ul><li>The final results of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine show that it's 95% effective. </li><li>The only significant side effect, with a frequency of over 2%, was fatigue. </li><li>The company plans to file for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) with the US’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the next few days. </li></ul>The COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer and BioNtech is 95% effective according to its <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-conclude-phase-3-study-covid-19-vaccine">final analysis</a>. Even in adults over the age of 65 years, the efficacy was observed at 94%. “No serious safety concerns were observed in the COVID-19 vaccine trial,” said the <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-conclude-phase-3-study-covid-19-vaccine">press note</a> issued by both companies. The phase 3 study only showed mild to moderate side effects that cleared up quickly. “The only significant side effect than that 2% in frequency was fatigue at 3.7%,” the study highlighted. How does the vaccine work? With a 95% efficacy rate, those who get the vaccine will be protected within 28 days of the first dose — and there is only a two-dose schedule. This is far more effective than the threshold laid out by the White House coronavirus advisor Anthony Fauci, who has previously stated that a vaccine that is 50% to 60% effective would be acceptable. When will the vaccine be able for the public? Now that the vaccine is ready for market as soon as it gets the required permissions, Pfizer and BioNTech plan to make up to 50 million doses before the end of the year and another 1.3 billion in 2021. According to the company, the vaccine’s efficacy is consistent across different ages, races and ethnicities. In light of the success, Pfizer plans to file for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for the vaccine with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the next few days. It claims it has met all the safety data milestones required by the authorities. Why India shouldn’t rejoice just yet A year since the first COVID-19 case was detected, the success of a possible vaccine provides a ray of hope after the last seven grueling months of the pandemic. However, the Pfizer vaccine may not be suited for use in India since it requires storage at minus 70 degrees Celsius. According to the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/indian-covid-vaccines-can-survive-in-warmer-temperatures-pfizers-says-aiims-director/articleshow/79172255.cms">Randeep Guleria</a>, the Pfizer vaccine’s requirement of a lower storage temperature is something that India’s cold storage infrastructure may not be able to support for the population of 1.3 billion. However, Pfizer believes its expertise and existing cold-chain infrastructure will be enough to distribute the vaccine around the world in specially designed and temperature controlled thermal shippers that use dry ice. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/lakshmi-vilas-bank-customers-have-withdrawn-10000-crore-since-rbis-moratorium-was-announced-last-night/articleshow/79281857.cms">Lakshmi Vilas Bank customers have withdrawn ₹10,000 crore since RBI's moratorium was announced last night</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/capgemini-hr-head-explains-why-the-french-it-major-is-going-crazy-hiring-in-india-and-around-the-world/articleshow/79277396.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Capgemini HR head explains why the French IT major is going crazy hiring in India and around the world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indiamart-and-justdial-in-legal-battle-over-copyright-violations/articleshow/79275178.cms">IndiaMart and JD Mart gear up for a legal battle over copyright infringement — even as Justdial calls IndiaMart’s allegations ‘baseless’</a>

Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective and the only severe side-effect to worry about is fatigue, according to the final results

The analysis of the additional data and information submitted by Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech is still being conducted by regulator Central Drug Standard Control Organisation's (CDSCO) Subject Expert Committee and their next meeting will be held on January 1. The Subject Expert Committee met on Wednesday to consider the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) request of Pfizer, SII and Bharat Biotech Private Ltd. Further time was requested on behalf of Pfizer, while the additional data and information presented by the SII and Bharat Biotech was perused and analysed by the SEC. "The analysis of the additional data and information is going on. SEC will convene again on 1st January 2021 (Friday)," the Centre said in a statement. America's Pfizer was the first one to apply for the accelarated approval on December 4, followed by the SII and Bharat Biotech who applied on December 6 and 7, respectively. On December 9, the Subject Expert Committee had asked the SII and Bharat Biotech to submit more data and information to get approval. The expert panel had then recommended the SII to submit outcome of the assessment of UK regulatoe for grant of emergency use approval, the updated safety data of the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and immunogenicity data from the clinical trials in UK and India. Bharat Biotech was recommended to present the safety and efficacy data from the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in the country for further consideration. Their applications were reviewed again earlier on Wednesday, hours after the UK accepted the recommendation of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise Oxford University-AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, named Covishield, for emergency use. The authorization was significant for India as the Pune-based SII had tied up with the company to conduct clinical trials and manufacture the vaccine. Besides, Bharat Biotech is developing country's indigenous coronavirus vaccine - Covaxin - in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research. The Central government plans to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people in the first phase of drive. It will be offered to one crore healthcare workers, along with 2 crore frontline and essential workers and 27 crore elderly, mostly above the age of 50 years with co-morbidities. Covishield uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the coronavirus if it later infects the body. The vaccine can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions at two to eight degrees Celsius for at least six months and administered within existing healthcare settings. Its interim analysis for efficacy showed that the vaccine was 70.4 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 occurring more than 14 days after receiving two doses of the vaccine. The SII has already made 40 to 50 million doses of the shot. "We have 40-50 million doses of Covishield stockpiled. We will be producing around 300 million doses by July 2021," its CEO Adar Poonawalla had recently said. Besides this, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is India's indigenous vaccine and is being developed in collaboration with the ICMR's National Institute of Virology. The indigenous, inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/income-tax/news/income-tax-returns-filing-deadline-extended-to-january-10/articleshow/80029154.cms">Relief for taxpayers: Deadline to file income tax returns extended further to January 10</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/uk-approves-oxford-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use/articleshow/80023778.cms">UK approves Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-is-testing-a-shortcut-feature-for-tiktok-and-instagram-videos/articleshow/80021865.cms">Google is testing a shortcut feature for TikTok and Instagram videos</a>.

India continues to mull over SII and Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine candidates

Global pharma major Pfizer on Thursday said it remains committed to engaging with the Indian government to explore opportunities to make Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine available in the country. The UK on Wednesday became the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 with the UK regulator Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)granting a temporary authorisation for its emergency use. "Right now we are in discussions with many governments around the world and remain committed to engaging with the Government of India and explore opportunities to make this vaccine available for use in the country," a Pfizer spokesperson said in a statement. Pfizer is committed to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to have access to the vaccine, and is working closely with governments, it added. "During this pandemic phase, Pfizer will supply this vaccine only through government contracts based on agreements with respective government authorities and following regulatory authorisation or approval," the statement said. The UK regulator, MHRA has granted a temporary authorisation for emergency use of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. This constitutes the first Emergency Use Authorisation following a worldwide phase 3 trial of a vaccine to help fight the pandemic, Pfizer said on Wednesday. "As we anticipate further authorizations and approvals, we are focused on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world," Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said on Wednesday. In November, NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul, who also heads the National Task Force on COVID-19, had said the arrival of the <keyword id="9655003" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pfizer-vaccine">Pfizer vaccine</keyword> in the country might take some months. "The arrangement of cold-chains for storing the vaccine developed by Pfizer at a low temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius is a big challenge and it will not be easy for any nation. But then, if at all it has to be obtained, we are examining what we need to do...and will work out a strategy," he had said. Currently in India, Pune-based Serum Institute of India has said that it will apply for emergency use licensure for AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine in two weeks. Phase-3 clinical trial of the indigenously-developed vaccine candidate of Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is also underway. While vaccine candidate of Zydus Cadila has completed the phase-2 clinical trial, pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories has started the combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, in India. Another domestic firm Biological E Ltd has also started early phase 1 and 2 human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-may-reportedly-block-wikipedia-if-the-site-doesnt-delete-the-map-showing-aksai-chin-as-a-part-of-china/articleshow/79541391.cms">India may reportedly block Wikipedia if the site doesn't delete the map showing Aksai Chin as a part of China</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/geo-tagged-bottles-in-the-ganges-river-show-how-plastic-pollution-can-travel-thousands-of-kilometres-in-just-a-few-months/articleshow/79540173.cms">Geo-tagged bottles in the Ganges river show how plastic pollution can travel thousands of kilometres in just a few months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/trump-h1-b-visa-restrictions-scrapped-by-us-court-spells-good-news-for-indian-and-american-it-companies-alike/articleshow/79531053.cms">Trump's H-1B visa restrictions scrapped by US court spells good news for Indian and American IT companies alike</a>

Pfizer claims its committed to making its COVID-19 vaccine available in India and engaging with the government

Australia on Monday began the local production of a <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">Covid-19 vaccine</keyword> candidate developed by the University of Oxford, with roughly 30 million doses planned to be manufactured. Despite still undergoing clinical trials, the vaccine, which was co-developed by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is considered one of the more promising vaccines globally, reports Xinhua news agency. Australian biotech firm CSL has agreements with AstraZeneca and the government to begin pre-emptive production of the vaccine, for release during the first half of 2021 should remaining tests prove successful. "We are undertaking these manufacturing activities at-risk and in parallel with the clinical trials and approvals processes in recognition of the significant urgency of the Covid-19 pandemic," CSL's Chief Scientific Officer Andrew Nash said. It is expected the vaccine will require a two-dose per person regime meaning it could be effectively administered to 15 million people. However, it will not be released for use until the development process is reviewed and approved by Australia's government regulatory authority, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Production will take place at CSL's bioreactor facility in the State of Victoria, with the manufacturing process beginning by thawing vials containing vaccine cells which had been frozen under liquid nitrogen. "After growing in the bioreactors, the vaccine is then filtered and purified leaving just the antigen, or vaccine product. It is then ready for final formulation and filling into dosage vials," the company said in a statement. CSL had already manufactured several doses of another Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by Australia's University of Queensland (UQ), which it is holding in readiness to progress to Phase 2b/3 clinical trials. Further trials on the UQ vaccine candidate are due pending the release and review of Phase 1 clinical trial data. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/kamala-harris-indian-ancestral-village-celebrates-her-victory-as-she-becomes-vice-president-of-the-united-states/articleshow/79117206.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Kamala Harris' Indian ancestral village celebrates her victory as she becomes Vice President of the United States</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hyperloop-pod-carries-two-humans-through-a-tube-at-over-160-kmph-for-the-first-time-ever/articleshow/79121765.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Hyperloop pod carries two humans through a tube at over 160 kmph for the first time ever</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-cyber-espionage-groups-that-have-india-in-their-crosshairs/slidelist/79120867.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Top cyber espionage groups that have India in their crosshairs</a>

Australia begins production of Oxford-developed Covid-19 vaccine

<ul><li><keyword id="95879" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Serum-Institute-of-India">Serum Institute of India</keyword> (SII) to accelerate the manufacture and delivery of up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for India and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).</li><li>The collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help them increase manufacturing capacity now so that, once a vaccine, or vaccines, gains regulatory approval and WHO prequalification, doses can be produced at scale for distribution to India and LMIC as part of the Gavi COVAX AMC mechanism as early as the first half of 2021.</li><li>The funding will support at-risk manufacturing by SII for candidate vaccines from AstraZeneca and Novavax, which will be available for procurement if they are successful in attaining full licensure and WHO Prequalification.</li></ul> Serum Institute of India (SII), the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, has entered into a new landmark partnership with Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance and the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, to accelerate the manufacture and delivery of up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for India and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help them increase manufacturing capacity now so that, once a vaccine, or vaccines, gains regulatory approval and WHO prequalification, doses can be produced at scale for distribution to India and LMIC as part of the Gavi COVAX AMC mechanism as early as the first half of 2021. The funding will support at-risk manufacturing by SII for candidate vaccines from AstraZeneca and Novavax, which will be available for procurement if they are successful in attaining full licensure and WHO Prequalification. SII has set an affordable ceiling price of $3 per dose. The arrangement also provides an option to secure additional doses if the vaccines pillar of the ACT Accelerator sees a need for it. "In an attempt to make our fight against COVID-19 stronger and all-embracing; SII has partnered with Gavi and the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation to advance the manufacturing and delivery of up to 100 million doses of future COVID vaccines for India and low and middle income countries in 2021," said Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India. "The rampant spread of the virus has rendered the entire world in an unimaginable halt of uncertainty. And to ensure maximum immunization coverage and contain the pandemic, it is important to make sure that the most remote and poorest countries of the world have access to affordable cure and preventive measures. Through this association, we seek to ramp up our constant efforts to save the lives of millions of people from this dreadful disease." SII shares a long history of successful partnerships with Gavi and pharmaceutical companies to manufacture vaccines that protect against meningitis, severe diarrhoea, pneumonia and measles. This collaboration further underscores India's proven-track record in developing safe and quality vaccines. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology said, "India has a proven track record of manufacturing safe and cost-effective vaccines not only for India, but for the world. Over the last decade, Government of India has encouraged innovation, and supported the Indian vaccine industry to manufacture high quality, affordable indigenous tools and products to benefit India and the world. We are very happy to see SII enter this global partnership to respond to the global health crisis posed by Covid-19." Balram Bhargava, Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), commented, "India's has demonstrated consistent capability in delivering on low-cost and high-quality medical research, while also maintaining technical and scientific rigour. ICMR is deeply supportive of our cutting edge vaccine research and manufacturing prowess, of which SII is one prominent example. This partnership signifies yet another step in India's efforts to bolster the fight against this global pandemic." The Gavi Covax AMC, which is currently seeking at least US$ 2 billion in initial seed funding, will meet at least part of the cost of procurement for the vaccine doses. Last week the Gavi Board agreed the final list of 92 countries that will be supported by the AMC. Under the new collaboration, AstraZeneca's candidate vaccine, if successful, will be available to 57 Gavi-eligible countries. Novavax's candidate, if successful, will be available to all 92 countries supported by the AMC The collaboration between Gavi, SII, and the Gates Foundation supports the efforts of the ACT Accelerator's vaccines pillar, also known as COVAX, co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to accelerate the development of COVID-19 vaccines and ensure rapid, global access to them. Decisions around investment in manufacturing are taken in close collaboration between these three lead organisations of the COVAX pillar. Under the COVAX umbrella, Gavi is leading the COVAX Facility, which provides governments with the opportunity to benefit from a large portfolio of COVID-19 candidate vaccines using a range of technology platforms, produced by more manufacturers across the world, with a bigger market to provide security of demand. The Facility is reinforced by the AMC which provides funding for vaccines for lower income countries. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-beirut-explosion-created-a-huge-mushroom-cloud-and-visible-blast-wave-but-nuclear-weapons-experts-say-it-wasnt-an-atomic-blast-heres-why-/articleshow/77362144.cms">The Beirut explosion created a huge mushroom cloud and visible blast wave, but nuclear weapons experts say it wasn't an atomic bomb. Here's why.</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/microsoft-for-startups-lathika-pai-says-entrepreneurs-pitching-for-investments-need-to-have-this-one-question-answered-in-their-pitch-decks/articleshow/77352935.cms">Microsoft for Startups’ Lathika Pai says entrepreneurs pitching for investments need to have this one question answered in their pitch decks</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/linkedin-tcs-disney-hotstar-zee-and-other-companies-hiring-right-now-in-india/slidelist/77352775.cms">LinkedIn, TCS, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee and other companies hiring right now in India</a>

Serum Institute of India to produce 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for less than ₹250 a dose

<ul><li><keyword id="44612" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pfizer">Pfizer</keyword> and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in those who haven’t been infected by coronavirus before. </li><li>This is higher than the efficacy target laid out by White House coronavirus advisor Anthony Fauci of 50% to 60%</li><li>At this level, the COVID-19 vaccine will give people protection within 28 days of the first dose, the latest trial shows.</li></ul>The COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech is getting closer to becoming a reality. The latest data from their late-stage vaccine trial shows that their COVID-19 vaccine is <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-vaccine-candidate-against">90% more effective</a> in preventing an infection if a person has never come in contact with it before. This means that those who get the vaccine will be protected within 28 days of the first dose — and there is only a two-dose schedule. This is far more effective than the threshold laid out by the White House coronavirus advisor Anthony Fauci, who has previously stated that a vaccine that is 50% to 60% effective would be acceptable. However, the efficacy of the final vaccine may vary as more results continue to pour in. “The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” said Pfizer chairman and CEO <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-vaccine-candidate-against">Albert Bourla</a> in a statement. The current findings are based on an interim analysis conducted after 94 participants contracted the virus and will continue until 164 cases have occurred. If the data holds up, it could mean a milestone for the world, which has been scrambling to find a cure for COVID-19 for nearly a year now. Current projections forecast that Pfizer and BioTech are poised to produce up to 50 million doses of their vaccine in 2020, and another 1.3 billion in 2021. The complete data from the phase 3 trial, which kicked off back in July, will be submitted for scientific peer-review and subsequent submission. After they have two months of data has been compiled, which is currently on track for the third week of November, the companies plan to submit for emergency use authorization to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration soon SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/apple-has-frozen-any-new-business-deals-with-primary-iphone-manufacturer-in-china-pegatron-due-to-labour-abuse-allegations/articleshow/79129137.cms">Apple’s new 5G iPhones could reportedly be manufactured by a company within Mainland China for the very first time</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/pubg-mobile-could-return-to-india-riding-on-microsofts-azure-cloud-service/articleshow/79127963.cms">PUBG Mobile could return to India riding on Microsoft’s Azure cloud service</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-cyber-espionage-groups-that-have-india-in-their-crosshairs/slidelist/79120867.cms">Top cyber espionage groups that have India in their crosshairs</a>

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in preventing coronavirus in those who haven’t been infected ever before, shows data from latest trials

<ul><li>You can now book a <keyword id="11352915" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine-slot" source="Orion">COVID-19 vaccine slot</keyword> using WhatsApp.</li><li>The MyGov Corona helpdesk allows registered users to book vaccine slots.</li><li>You can follow the below steps to book a <keyword id="8904563" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine" source="Orion">COVID-19 vaccine</keyword> slot near your home.</li></ul>The MyGov Corona helpdesk which was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indian-govt-launches-mygov-coronavirus-helpdesk-on-whatsapp-to-educate-citizens/articleshow/74727460.cms">launched</a> to educate people about COVID-19 earlier this month received an update that enabled users to download their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-to-get-covid-19-vaccination-certificate-on-whatsapp/articleshow/85176423.cms">vaccination certificate</a> using WhatsApp. Now, users will also be able to find their nearest vaccination center and book a slot. The MyGov Corona WhatsApp chatbot allows users to book both first and second shots. As per WhatsApp CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/wcathcart/status/1429987646370062338">Will Cathcart</a>, over 3 million people have downloaded their vaccine certificate using WhatsApp. Abhishek Sing, CEO of MyGov <a href="https://twitter.com/abhish18/status/1429869709122424838">announced</a> the launch of the new feature on Twitter. “Now book vaccination slot by simply sending ‘Book Slot’ to MyGovIndia Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp, verify OTP &amp; follow the steps. Grateful to WhatsApp &amp; Haptik for their continued support to build this chatbot.”, he tweeted. Do note that this will work only if you have already registered on CoWin. How to book COVID-19 vaccine slot using WhatsApp <ol><li>To begin, you need to either save the MyGov Corona helpdesk number – 9013151515 on your phone or click on this <a href="https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=919013151515&amp;text&amp;app_absent=0">link</a>. </li><li>Now, send the message ‘Book Slot’ and a six-digit OTP will be sent to your number. </li><li>Enter the six-digit OTP in the chat. </li><li>Now, select the person for whom you want to book a vaccine slot. </li><li>The chatbot will then show you the nearby centres based on the pincode and vaccine selected. </li><li>You can now select the preferred date and location. </li></ol>You will now receive a confirmation message for your COVID-19 vaccination slot. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-adds-a-payment-shortcut-so-you-can-send-money-faster-than-ever-before/articleshow/85589253.cms">WhatsApp adds a payment shortcut so you can send money faster than ever before</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-google-forms-whatsapp-are-helping-afghans-with-resettlement-programs/articleshow/85421485.cms">How Google Forms, WhatsApp are helping Afghans to cross borders with resettlement programs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-chat-transfer-feature-is-now-rolling-out-in-beta/articleshow/85392271.cms">WhatsApp’s iOS to Android chat transfer feature begins rolling out</a>

You Searched For "covid 19 vaccines" and got 12 results

COVID-19 vaccination for senior citizens to start from March 1 in India — will be free at government hospitals

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COVID-19 vaccines and their extreme allergic reactions are far and few between — these are some of the side effects to watch out for

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Another Chinese Covid-19 vaccine enters late-stage human trials with a plan to produce 300 million doses annually

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Anyone with a history of 'significant' allergies to food or medicines should avoid the current Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the UK regulator said, after 2 people had reactions

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India has administered about 4.5 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 19 days

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Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective and the only severe side-effect to worry about is fatigue, according to the final results

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India continues to mull over SII and Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine candidates

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Pfizer claims its committed to making its COVID-19 vaccine available in India and engaging with the government

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Australia begins production of Oxford-developed Covid-19 vaccine

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Serum Institute of India to produce 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for less than ₹250 a dose

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Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in preventing coronavirus in those who haven’t been infected ever before, shows data from latest trials

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Here’s how to book COVID-19 vaccine slot using WhatsApp

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