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The Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl on Monday criticised a recently published study on the long-term safety analysis of the <keyword id="9485939" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covaxin" source="Orion">Covaxin</keyword> in adults and adolescents for its poor methodology and design, and clarified the article misleadingly and erroneously "acknowledges" <keyword id="19918794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICMR" source="keywords">ICMR</keyword>. Dr Bahl said the study had no control arm of unvaccinated individuals for comparing the rates of events between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Hence, the reported events in the study cannot be linked or attributed to COVID-19 vaccination. He added that the ICMR is not associated with the study and has not provided any financial or technical support for the research. The ICMR DG has written a letter to the authors of the paper and Editor of the journal to immediately remove the acknowledgement to ICMR and publish an erratum. A research paper, titled 'Long-Term Safety Analysis of the BBVl52 <keyword id="21730391" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus-vaccine" source="keywords">Coronavirus Vaccine</keyword> in Adolescents and Adults: Findings from a l-Year Prospective Study in North India' stated that nearly one-third of the 926 participants in the study who received Bharat Biotech's anti-Covid vaccine Covaxin reported 'adverse events of special interest,' or AESI. Dr Bahl said that ICMR was acknowledged for research support without any prior approval of or intimation to ICMR, which is inappropriate and unacceptable. He stated that ICMR cannot be associated with this poorly designed study which purports to present a "safety analysis" of Covaxin due to several critical flaws. He said the study does not even provide background rates of observed events in the population, making it impossible to assess the change in incidence of observed events in the post-vaccination period. Baseline information of study participants is missing. The study tool used is inconsistent with 'Adverse Events of Special Interest (AESI)' as defined in the reference provided in the paper for AESI. The method of data collection has a high risk of bias, he said. Study participants were contacted telephonically one year after vaccination and their responses were recorded without any confirmation with clinical records or by physician examination, he pointed out. Dr Bahl also noted that similar acknowledgements to ICMR have been made in previous papers without permission, raising concerns about the authors' practices. "The authors have been urged to immediately rectify the acknowledgment to ICMR and publish an erratum. Additionally, they are asked to address the methodological concerns raised. Failure to do so may prompt ICMR to consider legal and administrative action," he said. The Editor has been asked to retract the paper which implicitly makes conclusions on <keyword id="21495684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine-safety" source="keywords">vaccine safety</keyword> which are not supported by evidence. The study, conducted by researchers from the Banaras Hindu University from January 2022 to August 2023, stated that nearly 50 per cent of 926 study participants in the study complained of infections during the follow-up period, predominated by viral upper respiratory tract infections. Serious AESI, which included stroke and Guillain-Barre syndrome, were reported in one per cent of individuals, the study, which looked at long-term safety of the BBV152 (Covaxin) vaccine in adolescents and adults, claimed. The study involved 635 adolescents and 291 adults, who received the BBV152 vaccine.

BHU study on Covaxin side effects poorly designed, critically flawed: ICMR Director General

Medical expert Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that <keyword id="21480687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thrombosis-Thrombocytopenia-Syndrome" source="keywords">Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome</keyword> (<keyword id="20218859" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TTS" source="keywords">TTS</keyword>) refers to the <keyword id="21480686" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clot-in-blood-vessels" source="keywords">clot in blood vessels</keyword>, and it occurs in very rare cases, following the use of certain types of <keyword id="19953288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccines" source="keywords">vaccines</keyword>. Acknowledging that the <keyword id="20250806" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-vaccines" source="keywords">Covid vaccines</keyword> have helped in preventing numerous deaths, Jayadevan, who is the Co-Chairman of National Indian Medical Association (IMA) Covid Task Force in Kerala, stated that reports of such cases have also been highlighted in many reports. "TTS is thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, which is basically clot in blood vessels of the brain or elsewhere, along with a low platelet count. It is known to occur in very rare instances following certain types of vaccines and also from other causes. According to the WHO, adenovirus vector vaccines in particular have been rarely associated with this condition," he told ANI. "Although COVID vaccines have prevented numerous deaths, reports of these extremely rare but potentially serious immune mediated events have also been published in reputed journals," Dr Jayadevan added. This comes in the wake of a recent admission by <keyword id="19910149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AstraZeneca" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="AstraZeneca" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="AstraZeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword>, the pharmaceutical company, that its Covid vaccine Covishield and Vaxzevria "can, in very rare cases, cause TTS." According to several UK media reports, AstraZeneca has made the admission in court documents in connection with a case that alleges that the vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, caused death and serious injury in dozens of cases. The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield but not using mRNA platform. It has been prepared using the viral vector platform. In the vaccine, a chimpanzee adenovirus - ChAdOx1 - has been modified to enable it to carry the COVID-19 spike protein into the cells of humans. This cold virus is basically incapable of infecting the receiver, but can very well teach the immune system to prepare a mechanism against such viruses. The same technology was used to prepare vaccines for viruses like Ebola. Amid reports about clot in blood vessels in the UK media, the Serum Institute of India did not respond to the query. Notably in 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in its report that TTS emerged as a new adverse event following immunisation in individuals vaccinated with COVID-19 non-replicant adenovirus vector-based vaccines. This refers to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 ChAdOx-1 vaccine and the Johnson &amp; Johnson (J&amp;J) Janssen COVID-19 Ad26.COV2-S vaccines. "TTS is a serious and life-threatening adverse event. WHO has issued this interim emergency guidance to increase awareness about TTS in the context of COVID-19 vaccination and help healthcare providers in the assessment and management of potential TTS cases," the 2023 statement by WHO read. However, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in March 2024 at 'Dialogues - Navigating India's health sector' said that ICMR has done a detailed study which shows that COVID-19 vaccine is not responsible for heart attacks, and an individual's lifestyle and factors such as binge drinking could be among underlying causes. Mandaviya said, "If someone has a stroke today, they think it is because of the Covid vaccine. ICMR has done a detailed study that the (Covid) vaccine is not responsible for heart attacks." (ANI)

TTS: Clot in blood vessels occurs in rare cases with certain vaccines, says medical expert amid reports over AstraZeneca

<keyword id="19910149" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="AstraZeneca" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="AstraZeneca" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="AstraZeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword> made headlines on Tuesday as it initiated the global withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine. This decision comes weeks after the pharmaceutical giant acknowledged the vaccine's potential to trigger a rare side effect known as <keyword id="21475609" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thrombosis-with-Thrombocytopenia-Syndrome" source="keywords">Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome</keyword> (TTS). Previously, AstraZeneca had admitted in court filings that its vaccine could lead to side effects like <keyword id="21303970" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="blood-clots" source="keywords">blood clots</keyword> and low blood platelet counts. However, the company has now attributed its <keyword id="21572759" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine-withdrawal" source="Orion">vaccine withdrawal</keyword> not to the aforementioned side effects, but to an "oversupply of updated vaccines" since the pandemic. The company also announced its decision to revoke the vaccine Vaxzevria's marketing authorisations within Europe, noting that the oversupply has reduced the demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being produced or distributed. According to The Telegraph, AstraZeneca had submitted its application to withdraw the vaccine on March 5, and the withdrawal became effective on May 7. AstraZeneca collaborated with the University of Oxford to develop the Vaxzevria vaccine, while also partnering with the <keyword id="19897707" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Serum-Institute-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Serum Institute of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Serum Institute of India">Serum Institute of India</keyword> (SII), the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, to supply the Covishield vaccine to the Indian government. The UK-based pharma company is currently facing <keyword id="19982808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="legal-action" source="keywords">legal action</keyword> alleging that its vaccine has caused deaths and severe harm to a few of those who received it. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The lawsuits against AstraZeneca" comment="subhead" text="The lawsuits against AstraZeneca">The lawsuits against AstraZeneca</cmsannotation> Families of individuals affected by adverse vaccine reactions continue to pursue legal recourse against AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute of India. <keyword id="21513237" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="venugopalan-govindan" source="keywords">Venugopalan Govindan</keyword>, whose daughter Karunya passed away after receiving the Covishield vaccine, expressed his grief and criticised various parties for his daughter's death. He highlighted alleged negligence in responding to early warning signs and cited missed opportunities to prevent tragedies like his daughter's passing. Eight families across India have joined forces to seek justice, emphasising their collective determination to hold accountable those they deem responsible for the tragic loss of their loved ones. Their shared resolve underscores their commitment to achieving justice and preventing similar tragedies from occurring again, he added. In the UK, <keyword id="21472612" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jamie-scott" source="keywords">Jamie Scott</keyword> took legal action last year after suffering from a blood clot and brain bleed following his vaccination in April 2021. AstraZeneca initially denied a causal link between the vaccine and this particular side-effect, but later admitted in court documents that the vaccine could cause TTS in very rare cases. As many as 51 cases have reportedly been filed against AstraZeneca in the British High Court, with affected individuals and families seeking compensation totaling an estimated £100 million. (With inputs from multiple agencies)

AstraZeneca continues to face legal action even after withdrawing its COVID vaccine! Know all about it here

(Eds: With file pics) Hyderabad, Two major vaccine makers from Hyderabad, <keyword id="1379126" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Biological-E" source="Orion">Biological E</keyword> Ltd and <keyword id="149108" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bharat-biotech" source="Orion">Bharat Biotech</keyword>, together are holding about 250 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines ready to dispatch as and when orders are received. According to respective company sources, Biological E is holding 200 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine <keyword id="11370342" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="corbevax" source="Orion">Corbevax</keyword> while Bharat Biotech is sitting on a stockpile of 50 million doses of Covaxin. Dr Vikram Paradkar, Executive Vice President (Manufacturing), Biological E, said the firm produced about 30 crore doses of Corbevax in total, abiding by the vaccine manufacturing commitment to the Central government. In March '22, Biological E successfully supplied 10 crore doses to the government. "Currently, we have approximately 20 crore (200 million) doses that are fully tested and ready for supply, as and when we receive orders. Additionally, we manufactured 20 crore doses equivalent of the antigen which will help us ramp up the manufacturing of the Corbevax finished product quickly," Paradkar told PTI. The vaccine has been developed by Biological E in collaboration with Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development (Texas Children's CVD) and Baylor College of Medicine (Baylor) in Houston, Texas, USA. He further said Biological E can begin with the additional vaccine supplies within eight weeks of future orders and can manufacture and supply approximately 10 crore doses of Corbevax on a monthly basis as per its qualified manufacturing capacity. Bharat Biotech sources said the vaccine maker has more than 50 million doses of Covaxin readily available in vials, and over 200 million doses as drug substance. "Additional production capacity is also available to meet product demand," they said adding fresh stocks of the vaccine are available and ready for supplies. Covaxin, India's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, was developed in collaboration with the <keyword id="6364555" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-council-of-medical-research" source="Orion">Indian Council of Medical Research</keyword> (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV). Due to lack of product demand, production stoppage of Covaxin was initiated earlier this year and also the 50 million doses in vials are set to expire during early 2023, resulting in losses to the company, sources had earlier said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rise-in-active-covid-19-cases-in-bihar-no-need-for-panic-says-expert/articleshow/96561025.cms">Rise in active COVID-19 cases in Bihar; no need for panic, says expert</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covid-19-nasal-vaccine-bharat-biotechs-incovacc-is-the-first-approved-intranasal-vaccine-in-the-world/slidelist/96542239.cms">All you need to know about the world’s first Covid-19 nasal vaccine - iNCOVACC</a>

Biological E, Bharat Biotech together sitting on stockpile of 250 million COVID vaccine doses

<ul><li>Personal data of thousands of Indians has reportedly been leaked from the CoWIN portal.</li><li>According to a report, details such as name, ID proof, gender and more have been leaked.</li><li>The data has been spotted on <keyword id="1275203" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="telegram" source="Orion">Telegram</keyword> and a bot sends the data when you send the user’s phone number.</li></ul>In what could be a major data breach, personal information of people who received the Covid-19 vaccine has reportedly been leaked online. This data includes the user’s name, date of birth, gender, and their ID. According to a report by Malayala Manorama, the data has been leaked through the CoWIN portal that was designed to help citizens book their vaccine slots. As per the report, all you need to do is enter the phone number of a person who has received the Covid-19 vaccine on a Telegram bot and it will fetch important details about the user. This, as per the report, has put important data such as Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID and passport of thousands of users at risk. The government has not revealed anything about the leak yet. <div type="twitter" handle="SaketGokhale" handlename="SaketGokhale" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1668104757704269824"></div> Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Saket Gokhale has <a href="https://twitter.com/SaketGokhale/status/1668104757704269824">shared</a> screenshots of the Telegram bot, with vaccination information of people like P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and Derek O Brien. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Not the first Covid-19 related data leak" comment="subhead" text="Not the first Covid-19 related data leak">Not the first Covid-19 related data leak</cmsannotation> This is not the first time that CoWIN data has come under the scanner. In 2022, data of over 20,000 people, including their name, mobile number, Covid-19 test result and their address was<a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/data-meant-for-cowin-portal-leaked-online-over-20-000-indians-likely-affected-101642767559692.html"> reportedly</a> leaked. This data was meant to be uploaded on the CoWIN platform. In another instance, data of over 15 crore citizens was<a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/article/cowin-apps-covid-19-vaccination-data-of-15-crore-users-leaked-and-up-for-sale-government-denies-breach/769434"> reportedly</a> leaked in 2021 and the hackers put the data on sale. The government however refuted the claim and said that the CoWIN platform was never hacked. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/vision-pro-to-ios-17-apples-top-six-announcements-at-wwdc-2023/articleshow/100786632.cms">Vision Pro to iOS 17: Apple’s top six announcements at WWDC 2023</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/2000-note-withdrawal-how-to-exchange-notes-is-it-a-legal-tender-and-other-questions-answered/articleshow/100412941.cms">₹2,000 note withdrawal – How to exchange them, is it a legal tender and other questions answered</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-app-store-prevented-over-2-billion-in-fraudulent-transactions-last-year-banned-282-million-user-accounts/articleshow/100322718.cms">Apple App Store prevented over $2 billion in fraudulent transactions last year, banned 282 million user accounts</a>

Covid-19 vaccination data reportedly leaked – ID proof, date of birth and other details available on Telegram

There has been a rising spate of heart attacks in India, particularly post Covid-19 pandemic. While some blame vaccines for triggering heart issues, health experts have allayed such fears, citing no evidence to prove that vaccines can cause heart attacks. According to the Global Burden of Disease, nearly a quarter (24.8 per cent) of all deaths in India is due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recent reports showed many young celebrities, artistes, athletes, sportspersons -- who usually remain fit and have no history of CVD -- face heart attacks, while some also succumbed to it. "The increase in heart attacks is best explained by the fact that almost everyone has had <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword>, some people multiple times," Dr Anurag Agrawal, Dean, Biosciences and Health Research, Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, told IANS. "The risk of cardiovascular complications including heart attacks, is increased in individuals who have acute <keyword id="8764728" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">Covid 19</keyword>," added Dr <keyword id="1979580" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vivekanand-jha" source="Orion">Vivekanand Jha</keyword>, Executive Director, George Institute India. Several studies have added evidence that Covid infection is behind the rising heart attacks. Research has shown that Covid has the potential to unmask silent cardiac symptoms among people with previously undiagnosed heart disease. A study by the British Heart Foundation has found that Covid can cause heart and kidney inflammation along with systemic body inflammation. Another study of nearly 160,000 people published in Cardiovascular Research, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology, early this year showed that Covid is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and death in the short-and long-term. Compared to uninfected individuals, the likelihood of Covid patients dying was up to 81 times higher in the first three weeks of infection and remained five times higher up to 18 months later. Even a mild case of Covid can increase a person's risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year after diagnosis, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine, last year. Researchers found that rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from Covid than in similar people who hadn't had the disease. However, some also flagged concerns with Covid vaccines. According to the CDC, evidence from multiple monitoring systems in the US and around the globe support a causal association between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (i.e., <keyword id="4912868" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="moderna" source="Orion">Moderna</keyword> or Pfizer-BioNTech) and myocarditis and pericarditis. Media reports have also cited that the Oxford-AstraZeneca's jab, administered in India as Covishield, is linked with increasing clotting tendency leading to occlusion of arteries or veins. Recently, eminent British-Indian Cardiologist Dr Aseem <keyword id="35" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="malhotra" source="Orion">Malhotra</keyword> said that it was even "worse" in terms of cardiovascular effects, heart attacks and strokes. "The rise in heart attacks is not directly linked with the Covid vaccine but with covid infection mainly as there are lots of things that Covid can do with the cardiovascular system. There are reports of increased blood stickiness too in Covid infected people," Dr Amit Prasad, Associate Professor, School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Mandi, told IANS. "Even before vaccination started, such a link between Covid and an increase in future heart attacks could be seen. This observation is from 2020 data and thus clearly shows that the risk of increase in heart attacks started before vaccination started," added Agrawal. Dr. Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director, George Institute India said: "There is no evidence to suggest that heart attacks are linked to Covid vaccines." "The risk of cardiovascular complications including heart attacks, is increased in individuals who have acute Covid 19." Meanwhile, taking note of the rising heart attacks, Union Health Minister <keyword id="2607815" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mansukh-mandaviya" source="Orion">Mansukh Mandaviya</keyword> said earlier this week that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has started a research on the sudden rise in cardiac events after Covid-19. The results are expected in the next two months. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-revises-indias-fy24-growth-outlook-expects-softer-inflation-on-the-back-of-lower-commodity-prices/articleshow/99290005.cms">RBI revises India’s FY24 growth outlook, expects softer inflation on the back of lower commodity prices</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbis-monetary-policy-committee-keeps-repo-rate-unchanged-at-6-5/articleshow/99284354.cms">RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5%, for now</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/after-the-ides-of-march-analysts-pick-best-stocks-that-can-be-bought-on-dips/articleshow/99272438.cms">After the Ides of March, analysts pick best stocks that can be bought on dips</a>

Experts allay fears: It is Covid that triggers heart attacks, not vaccines

<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> on Tuesday recorded 3038 fresh cases of covid in the last 24 hours with the active caseload standing at 21,179. The COVID cases in India have seen an upward trend in the past few days with the daily fresh infections ranging between 2,994 on April 1 to 3,824 on April 2 and 3,641 on April 3 now dropped to 3038 in the last 24 hours. With 2,069 recoveries in the last 24 hours, total recoveries have increased to 4,41,77,204. India's recovery rate is currently at 98.76 per cent. The daily and weekly positivity rates are 1.84 per cent and 2.49 per cent respectively. A total of 1,894 doses were administered in the last 24 hours. Of the 92.20 crore total tests conducted so far, 1,64,740 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. Under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive, India has so far administered 220.65 crore Covid-19 <keyword id="24209" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vaccine" source="Orion">Vaccine</keyword> doses (95.20 crores <keyword id="7334317" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="second-dose" source="Orion">Second Dose</keyword> and 22.86 crores <keyword id="12813770" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="precaution-dose" source="Orion">Precaution Dose</keyword>), of which 9,497 doses were administered in the last 24 hours. In the wake of rising COVID cases in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said that Omicron's sub-variant which is circulating in the country has not led to an increase in hospitalisations and there is no need to worry. The Minister said that there is a need to remain vigilant. "We need to remain alert but there is no need to worry. Currently, the sub-variant of Omicron which is circulating in the country hasn't increased hospitalisations," Mandaviya said. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued revised guidelines for Covid-19 in the wake of the surge of cases in the past week across the country. "Antibiotics should not be used unless there is clinical suspicion of bacterial infection. The possibility of coinfection of COVID-19 with other endemic infections must be considered. Systemic corticosteroids are not indicated in mild disease," revised guidelines said. "Antibiotics should not be used unless there is clinical suspicion of bacterial infection. The possibility of coinfection of COVID-19 with other endemic infections must be considered. Systemic corticosteroids are not indicated in mild disease," revised guidelines said. "Seek immediate medical attention if difficulty breathing, High-grade fever/ severe cough, particularly if lasting for more than 5 days. A low threshold is to be kept for those with any of the high-risk features," guidelines discussed and prepared in January said. Additionally, in moderate or severe diseases at high risk of progression, the guidelines recommend, "Consider <keyword id="8775508" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="remdesivir" source="Orion">Remdesivir</keyword> for up to 5 days (200 mg IV on day 1 followed by 100 mg IV OD for the next 4 days)". SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/virat-kohli-ms-dhoni-rohit-sharma-rule-brand-endorsements-in-indian-sports-industry/articleshow/99237494.cms">With 30 brands each, Kohli, Dhoni &amp; Rohit Sharma rule Indian sports endorsements</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/harsh-discipline-with-young-children-can-lead-to-lasting-mental-health-problems-says-new-study/articleshow/99238367.cms">Harsh discipline with young children can lead to lasting mental health problems says new study</a>

Remain alert says Union Health Minister as India records 3,038 fresh Covid-19 cases

A scientist of Indian origin has been identified by <keyword id="4912868" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="moderna" source="Orion">Moderna</keyword> as the primary contributor to its <keyword id="8904563" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Covid-19-vaccine" source="Orion">Covid-19 vaccine</keyword>. A filing by the company for its patent application for the coronavirus vaccine using the revolutionary RNA technique listed Pune-educated <keyword id="12503074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bioinformatics-scientist-Mihir-Metkar" source="Orion">bioinformatics scientist Mihir Metkar</keyword> as the "first named inventor", a designation that usually recognises the primary contributor to the invention. He is also listed as one of the inventors in two other Covid-19 vaccine patent applications by Moderna to the US Patent Office. Moderna's is of the new class of vaccines that use what is called messenger RNA (mRNA) that cause the body to create some proteins similar to that in the Covid-19 virus and trigger the body's immune system to make antibodies that will fight the coronavirus if it invades the body. (Conventional vaccines use either dead viruses or parts of them or a modified version of the gene of a different virus.) Metkar's identification as the "first named inventor" is in the document filed by Moderna to dispute the US government's National Institutes of Health (NIH) assertion that its scientists should also be credited as inventors of the vaccine, which was developed in collaboration with it and with $1.53 billion provided by the administration of former President Donald Trump under the Operation Warp Speed programme to quickly produce vaccines. Vladimir Presnyak and Guillaume Stewart-Jones are listed after him in the original application for the patent. Metkar received his MSc degree from the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology at the Savitribai Phule Pune University and worked at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune as a project assistant before coming to the United States, according to his LinkedIn profile. He did his PhD at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester and worked there as a post-doctoral fellow, before joining Moderna in 2018, the profile said. In a separate patent filing, Moderna listed Sunny Himansu, who has an MBBS degree, as one of the two inventors of the Betacoronavirus Vaccine. Moderna's vaccine is one of the two main vaccines in the US and about 164 million doses of it have been given so far in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In addition, millions of people have been vaccinated in Europe and elsewhere with the Moderna vaccine. The other main vaccine used in the US is the Pfizer-Biontech, which was developed in Germany and uses mRNA. A third vaccine from Johson &amp; Johnson is also used in the US. It was developed by J&amp;J's Jansen Pharmaceutical, whose global head of research and development is Mathai Mammen. The patent document naming Metkar as the "first named inventor" was filed on behalf of Moderna by an intellectual property law firm asserted that the three NIH scientists who collaborated with them should not be considered co-inventors as the NIH has asked. If the NIH scientists are recognised as co-inventors, the NIH and the government may be entitled to receive a share of royalties from the use of the patents and also be able to allow others to make the vaccine. An NGO, Public Citizen, has pointed out in a letter to the head of the NIH that co-ownership of the patent "can empower the US government to authorise" other manufacturers around the world to use some of the patents to make the vaccine. The group said that with "huge gaps in global vaccine access" the need for the government to exercise control over the vaccine technology "only grows more urgent". SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/falguni-nayars-net-worth-surges-to-6-5-billion-after-nykaas-successful-ipo/articleshow/87622775.cms">Falguni Nayar’s net worth surges to $6.5 billion after Nykaa’s successful IPO</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/latent-view-ipo-analysts-recommend-subscribing-on-strong-demand-for-data-analytics/articleshow/87622215.cms">Analysts recommend subscribing to Latent View Analytics IPO on strong demand for data analytics</a>

Indian origin scientist named as the primary contributor to invention of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine

<ul><li>Skye Air Mobility has partnered with BlueDart Express to start <keyword id="6354474" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="drone" source="Orion">drone</keyword> delivery trials of healthcare items in <keyword id="68884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telangana" source="Orion">Telangana</keyword>.</li><li>The drone delivery trials will start tomorrow and continue until October 17.</li><li>These drones will carry and deliver medicines in boxes that weigh 2-3 kg.</li></ul>The Telangana government is scheduled to kick off drone delivery trials of medicines and Covid-19 vaccines from tomorrow onwards. The trial run will continue until October 17 and it will take place in Vikarabad. The project will be headed by drone delivery startup Skye Air Mobility in partnership with BlueDart Express for the deliveries. The project titled ‘Medicine From The Sky’ will mark the debut of trials for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-is-making-it-easier-to-buy-fly-and-sell-drones-with-these-16-policy-changes/articleshow/85649984.cms">drones</a> making Telangana the first state to do so. Its main purpose is to deliver vaccines and medicines in semi-urban and rural areas where road connectivity is difficult. The trials will take place in three phases, and continue for a little over a month until October 17. The first two days of the trial which is on September 9 and 10 will have the drones flying in the visual line of sight. This means that the drones will fly between 500 to 700 meters from the base, and they will be visible to the naked eye. Then from September 11 onwards, delivery trials for the BVLOS drone flights will take place. These drones will fly for 9-10 kms and will carry consignments of vaccines, medical samples and other health care items. In the initial stage of the trials, the drones will not carry Covid-19 vaccines but others, according to a <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/trial-runs-for-delivering-vaccines-by-drones-kicks-off-tomorrow/articleshow/86032811.cms">report</a> by Times of India. The drones will take off from the Vikarabad District hospital carrying boxes that weigh 2-3 kg, the report added. The medicines will be delivered to health care centres that are located 500 metres away from the hospital. The drones will also fly at an altitude of up to 400 feet. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/protests-planned-against-apples-controversial-child-safety-features-on-the-eve-of-iphone-13-launch/articleshow/86032670.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Protests planned against Apple’s controversial child safety features on the eve of iPhone 13 launch</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/facebook-and-ray-ban-likely-to-announce-details-of-upcoming-smart-glasses-on-september-9/articleshow/86028504.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">We might see the first glimpse of Facebook and Ray-Ban’s smart glasses on September 9</a>

Telangana to be the first Indian state to begin drone delivery trials for COVID-19 vaccines, medicines starting tomorrow

<ul><li>The <keyword id="10440405" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="cowin">CoWIN</keyword> app doesn't let you know when a COVID vaccine slot becomes available, but these Indian coders have found a way out.</li><li>Vaccine appointments, especially for those between the ages of 18 to 45 years, and hard to come by in the face of vaccine shortages.</li><li>Coders in India are stepping up by creating websites and scripts to help send alerts to people about when a vaccination slot becomes available in their area.</li></ul> Not only are COVID-19 vaccines in short supply, but appointment slots for those between the age of 18 to 45 years are also scarce. However, coders in India are coming to the rescue. For instance, the engineering manager at PhonePe, <a href="https://twitter.com/debarko/status/1388549978721636354">Debarko De</a>, has posted a script on code hosting platform GitHub to help people in Bangalore looking for appointment slots. Agra-based software developer Amit Agarwal has created a <a href="https://twitter.com/labnol/status/1388556580325453824">COVID-19 vaccine tracker</a>, built with Google Sheets, so that people can get alerts over email whenever an appointment opens up for a particular age group within a prescribed pincode. Many are questioning whether such an endeavour is legal or not. But many more are questioning why the CoWIN platform — the main portal provided by the government to register for a vaccine, find a slot and get your certificate — doesn’t already have this functionality. <div type="image" title="cowin slots" msid="82383448" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;No slots were available for people between the ages of 18 to 45 years on April 28, when the CoWIN platform opened up registration for that age group&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Ravi Srinivasan, the chief facilitator at the ed-tech platform Code Space, told Business Insider that Agarwal’s script can be used to look for vaccination centres and appointments outside of Bangalore, too, by simply changing the pin code. “The public API just allows you to see what slots are available by district, age etc. But it doesn’t let you register. For getting an appointment, you need the protected API,” he said. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Coders are plugging the holes in the CoWIN platform" comment="subhead" text="Coders are plugging the holes in the CoWIN platform">Coders are plugging the holes in the CoWIN platform</cmsannotation> Another programmer, Berty Thomas, pushed out a full fledged website called <a href="http://www.under45.in">under45.in</a> for those between the age of 18 to 45 years, looking to get their first jab. The site is a little slow to load, but once you’re in, all you have to do is select your state and district to see appointment availability. He also created multiple groups on <a href="https://twitter.com/BertyThomas/status/1388477672901120003">Telegram</a> for those who wish to receive alerts for their respective districts. The list is not exhaustive, but does cover most of the main metropolitan regions across the country. And Thomas isn’t using the government’s API to do it. The API is only powering the alerts, not storing your information. Similar sites like <a href="http://www.getjab.in">getjab.in</a> and <a href="http://www.findslot.in">findslot.in</a> are also doing the same thing. And, the reason they’re being allowed to stick around is because users still have to login into the CoWIN platform to register. That part of the process cannot be done externally. This is important because this is where the government draws the line between what is allowed and what is not allowed to be done with its APIs. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is an API?" comment="subhead" text="What is an API?">What is an API?</cmsannotation> An application programming interface, or API, is basically a bridge between two applications. It’s like the waiter who takes your order, ensures that it gets relayed to the chef, and then brings you your final meal. In the case of looking for CoWIN appointment slots, you’re placing your request on a website, and that website then relays it to the API, like the customer at the restaurant. The API then checks with the CoWIN portal — or the chef — before showing you the availability of slots. The Indian government opened up the CoWIN APIs to allow third party access, on April 28. They can be found on the government’s API Setu website which contains authentication, metadata, beneficiary registration, vaccination appointment and certificate APIs. With these APIs, the third party users can access information like vaccination centres, list of districts, vaccination appointments among others. There are two types of APIs -- public and protected. Using public APIs is not a problem and they’re freely available on the government site. To use the protected APIs, on the other hand, the government needs an organisation to put in for a special approval, which is a whole lot of red tape to cut through. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="There is still no data capture policy in place for third party access" comment="subhead" text="There is still no data capture policy in place for third party access">There is still no data capture policy in place for third party access</cmsannotation> Last month, an organisation called Project Step One created a bot on WhatsApp that would allow people to register for the vaccine. It undercut the requirement of having to log into the official website or use the CoWIN app. But it was shut down by the government for being a ‘<a href="https://twitter.com/PIBFactCheck/status/1381510698727997440">fake</a>’ service. <div type="twitter" handle="Projectstepone" handlename="StepOne" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1255874944098947073/hj_yObMf_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9" retweetcount="3" status="We have paused our #COVID19 vaccination #WhatsApp chatbot after receiving call from @MoHFW_INDIA. The bot was a fre… https://t.co/ViOhPK0bzY" createdat="1618464893000" id="1382568088210599941"></div> The primary concern around the service being offered by Step One, a non-profit organisation, was the potential risk posed by privacy issues. In order to book an appointment, or even register, users have to share data that is personal and highly sensitive in nature. According to Step One, it does not store any of the data. It was only using the government’s open APIs, the bot passed user data to COWIN servers, and none of data was accessed by the organisation. It even offered up the code for its WhatsApp bot for further examination, but to no avail. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/pubg-mobile-india-download-release-date-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/82383038.cms">PUBG Mobile India to relaunch as Battlegrounds Mobile India – here’s what we know so far</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-healthy-subscriber-growth-and-jios-disappointing-performance-send-the-stock-rallying/articleshow/82380913.cms">Airtel shines as price hikes, healthy subscriber growth and Jio’s disappointing performance send the stock rallying</a>

You Searched For "Indian Covid Vaccine" and got 10 results

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Indian origin scientist named as the primary contributor to invention of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine

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Telangana to be the first Indian state to begin drone delivery trials for COVID-19 vaccines, medicines starting tomorrow

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