Tag: vaccine

Maha, Punjab Tighten Covid-19 Curbs; India Records Biggest Surge in Cases in 4 Months

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Maharashtra and Punjab, which are recording a surge in new COVID-19 cases, tightened curbs on Friday and the chief minister of the western state said lockdown is an option, as India added close to 40,000 cases in the biggest daily increase in nearly four months. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, meanwhile, told Parliament that the COVID-19 vaccination drive will be extended in the coming days, and asserted there should not be any misconceptions about the two Indian vaccines being administered inthe country. He also said it is not necessary, scientifically, to administer the vaccine to each and every person in the country.

The Maharashtra government issued a notification asking drama halls/auditoriums to operate only at 50 per cent of their capacity till March 31, and warned they will have to remain closed for a period until the pandemic stays notified as a disaster by the Centre if there is any violation. Private offices, except those related to health and other essential services, have been asked to function only at 50 per cent of their capacity, it said.

A day after Maharashtra witnessed the highest one-day spike of 25,833 COVID-19 cases, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said lockdown is an option but he trusts people to follow the norms on their own. On Friday, the state recorded 25,681 cases, a health official said, adding Mumbai reported the highest spike of 3,062 new infections. Talking to reporters in Nandurbar, Thackeray also appealed to people to get vaccinated against the virus without fear.

The chief minister acknowledged that the COVID-19 situation has become grimmer as the number of new cases on Thursday crossed the earlier highest rise which was recorded in September. “I see lockdown as an option going ahead. But I trust people of the state to cooperate (and follow the COVID-19 norms voluntarily) like the last time.” After a review meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered a slew of restrictions beginning Saturday which included closing of all educational institutions till the month-end and curbs on cinema and mall capacities.

States likeMaharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Chhattisgarhare reporting a surge in the daily COVID-19 cases, accounting for over 80 per cent of the new infections, the Union Health Ministry said. Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 25,833 which is 65 per cent of daily cases. It is followed by Punjab with 2,369 while Kerala reported 1,899 new cases, the ministry said in its morning update. The new cases in Punjab rose by 2,490 on Friday, according to a state medical bulletin.

According to the ministry data updated on Friday. India reported 39,726 new coronavirus infections in a day, the highest single-day rise recorded so far this year, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,15,14,331. The daily rise was the highest recorded in 110 days, while the death toll increased to 1,59,370 with 154 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. As many as 41,810 new infections were registered during a 24-hour period on November 29 last.

Registering an increase for the ninth day in a row, the total active caseload has reached 2,71,282, which now comprises 2.36 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.26 per cent, the data stated. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,83,679, while the case fatality rate has further to 1.38 per cent, it said.

Eight states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryanaare showing an upward trajectory in daily new cases. The notification issued by the Maharashtra government said that in case of government and semi-government offices, the head of the office will take a decision regarding the staff attendance and ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

As per the notification, drama halls and auditoriums will not be used for religious, political, cultural and social gatherings. On March 15, the state government had notified that cinema halls, hotels, restaurants and offices, except those related to health and essential services, will function at 50 per cent of their capacity.

But the Friday’s order has included drama halls and auditoriums as well. The order, however, allowed the manufacturing sector to function at full capacity, but advised that the workforce be reduced to ensure adequate social distancing on the production floor.

For the purpose of maintaining social distancing, manufacturing units may be allowed to increase working shifts as approved by local authorities. to check COVID surge. In the 11 worst-hit districts in Punjab, a complete ban has been ordered on all social gatherings, except for funerals and weddings, which will be allowed with only 20 persons in attendance. This will be enforced from Sunday.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh appealed to people to keep social activity at their homes to the bare minimum for the next two weeks to break the transmission chain, according to an official statement released in Chandigarh. Not more than 10 visitors should be entertained in homes, he urged chairing a meeting of the COVID task force.

“All educational institutions, other than medical and nursing colleges, will remain closed till March 31,” the official statement said. The chief minister also ordered compulsory wearing of face mask, directing police and the health authorities to take all those found in public areas without it to the nearest testing facility to ensure they are not asymptomatic cases.

The situation will be reviewed after two weeks, he said. Dr K K Talwar, who heads the state government’s expert team on coronavirus, told the chief minister that the surge in cases appeared to be the result of the opening of schools and colleges, with young asymptomatic people appearing to be spreading the virus.

During the Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Vardhan said India has vaccinated 3.5 to 4 crore people so far and side effects of the vaccines have been recorded at 0.000432 per cent. “Every vaccine doesn’t require universal immunisation and all these priority groups whom we are vaccinating today like healthcare staff first and then senior citizens and people aged between 45 and 59 years, it will be extended in the coming days all these are based on experts’ opinion.

“Not only Indian experts, but we have also consulted WHO guidelines regarding priority groups.” Serum Institute’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin have been currently approved for restricted emergency use in India. Replying to a question by NCP MP Supriya Sule on whether the government is aiming at universal immunisation of COVID-19 vaccine, Vardhan said it is not scientifically necessary to administer the vaccine to each and every person in the country.

“Not each and every person in the world will be vaccinated. The prioritisation process is a dynamic process. “The behaviour of the virus is also dynamic. All things are based on scientific facts, scrutiny and vision of the overall scientific and health community,” he said.

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Covid-19 | Regulatory body nudges insurers to facilitate policyholders’ vaccination

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IRDAI has asked insurers to make special arrangements to facilitate eligible category among their policyholders to get vaccinated as a group or individually.

Nudging insurance companies to join the COVID-19 vaccination drive and create awareness among policyholders, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on Friday directed them to make special arrangements to facilitate inoculation of the eligible people at government or private hospitals.

IRDAI had sent instructions to the insurers on March 3. However, it communicated to them again on Friday (March 19 ) through a press release on its website.

The government’s national programme for vaccination against COVID-19 for 60 years old and above and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities started on March 1, 2021.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines for vaccination of eligible citizens.

All the insurers are requested to join this national effort, IRDAI said in a communication to all the insurance companies.

IRDAI had issued instructions to insurers to facilitate vaccination programme for their policyholders through a communication on March 3, 2021.

In the letter, IRDAI asked them to make special arrangements to facilitate eligible category among their policyholders to get vaccinated as a group or individually either at a government facility of private facilities as per the option of the policyholders.

“First, insurers may create awareness about vaccination among the policyholders through effective communication via SMS or email. Secondly, they may assist the policyholder as a group to get vaccinated in an orderly manner by assisting them and making advance arrangement through pre booking slots,” the letter said.

Thirdly, the policyholders may be reminded for the second shot of vaccine in time, it added.

IRDAI has also asked the insurers to give adequate publicity on the process of registration for vaccination programme and special arrangements made if any for policyholders so that maximum number of people can be immunised.

Further, similar arrangements may be made for all the employees of the insurer and also all the agents so that they can be made immune to COVID-19 infection, IRDAI said.

The regulator has asked the insurance companies to inform it at the earliest about the action taken in this matter.

Those visiting government hospitals for the immunisation are provided the vaccine free of cost. While the designated private hospitals charge it at a rate specified by the government.

The instructions do not apply on AIC and ECGC — the two specialised government owned insurance firms that cater to crop insurance and export credit insurance, respectively.

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Using AI to fight COVID-19 may harm disadvantaged groups, experts say

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The university’s researchers also highlighted discrimination in AI technology as they pick symptom profiles from medical records, reflecting and exacerbating biases against minorities

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Companies worldwide have devised methods in the past year to harness the power of big data and machine learning (ML) in medicine. A model developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) uses AI to detect asymptomatic COVID-19 patients through coughs recorded on their smartphones. In South Korea, a company used cloud computing to scan chest X-rays to monitor infected patients.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and ML have been extensively deployed during the pandemic, and their use ranged from data extraction to vaccine distribution. But experts from the University of Cambridge raise questions on ethical use of AI as they see the technology to have a tendency to harm minorities and those from lower socio-economic status.

“Relaxing ethical requirements in a crisis could have unintended harmful consequences that last well beyond the life of the pandemic,” said Stephen Cave, Director of Cambridge’s Center for the Future of Intelligence (CFI).

Also Read | Competition between prediction algorithms is bad for customers, study finds

Making clinical choices like predicting deterioration rates of patients who may need ventilation can be flawed as the AI model uses biased data. These trained datasets and algorithms are inevitably skewed against groups that access health services infrequently, including minority ethnic communities and those belonging to lower social status, Cambridge team warned.

Another issue is in the way algorithms are used to allocate vaccines locally, nationally and globally. Last December, Stanford Medical Centre’s vaccination plan algorithm left out several young front-line workers.

“In many cases, AI plays a central role in determining who is best placed to survive the pandemic. In a health crisis of this magnitude, the stakes for fairness and equity are extremely high,” said Alexa Hagerty, research associate at University of Cambridge.

Also Read | How bias crept into AI-powered technologies

The university’s researchers also highlighted discrimination in AI technology as they pick symptom profiles from medical records, reflecting and exacerbating biases against minorities.

The use of contact-tracing apps has also been criticised by several experts around the world, stating that it excludes those who don’t have access to the internet and those who lack digital skills, among other user privacy issues.

In India, biometric identity programmes can be linked to vaccination distribution, raising concerns for data privacy and security. Other vaccine allocation algorithms, including some used by the COVAX alliance, are driven by privately owned AI. These private algorithms are like ‘black box’, Hagerty noted.

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Covid-19: India’s rate of inoculation fastest in world, says health secy | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: India has witnessed the “speediest acceleration” of administration of Covid-19 vaccine doses, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, highlighting that on March 15, India accounted for 36% of the 8.34 million shots given across the world.
As of March 15, India administered the second highest number of vaccine doses at around 3.3 crore in 60 days. The US leads with 10 crore doses though it started its vaccination programme around a month before India. The UK — which was the first to start Covid-19 vaccination — inoculated only 2.6 crore doses in 98 days, Bhushan said.
India administered over 3.6 crore vaccine doses till 7pm on Wednesday. Of this, 1.5 crore health and frontline workers have received their first doses, whereas 1.2 crore doses have been given to those above 60 and 23.8 lakh to people aged between 45 and 60 years with co-morbidities. Apart from these, 63.9 lakh health and frontline workers have received their second doses.
In the last two weeks (March 1-15), India administered an average of 13.1 lakh doses per day. While Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat had the highest average ranging between 1.5 lakh and 1.2 lakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were among the poor performers. On Wednesday, 14 lakh doses were given till 7pm.

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India Exporting 50% More Jabs Than Those Used at Home, Not at the Expense of People, Says Health Min

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In a bid to become the pharmacy of the world, especially during the times of Covid-19, India has exported over 5.84 crore doses of indigenous vaccines to 70 countries, as against 3.48 crore jabs it has administered across the country since the inoculation drive began.

Junior health and family minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday provided the data of 583.85 lakh exported doses.

Meanwhile, the Centre has placed a new purchase order with the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the supply of 10 crore doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, each costing Rs 157.50, including GST, according to official sources.

The HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector undertaking, has issued the supply order on behalf of the Union health ministry on March 12 in the name of Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at the Pune-based SII.

The cost of the 10 crore doses would be borne by the health ministry under the budgetary allocation for the purpose. The expenditure for the earlier orders of the vaccines was funded through the PM Cares Fund, the sources said.

India has approved two vaccines against COVID-19 — Covishield, manufactured by the SII, and the indigenously-developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech — for restricted emergency use in the country.

“Vaccines are not being sent to other countries at the expense of people of India. Experts at highest level and a committee of Government are maintaining sensible balance about it…30,39,394 people were vaccinated yesterday. We have touched a total figure (vaccination) of 3 crore,” ANI quoted Vardhan as saying in Rajya Sabha.

Vardhan’s response came after the Congress raised objections over the central government’s move to export the Covid-19 vaccines to foreign countries. The party said that the government should not export vaccines without immunising the entire population of India.

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Coronavirus updates | March 14, 2021

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India reported its biggest daily rise this year of 25,320 Covid-19 cases on Sunday. This is the fourth day that cases have consistently risen over 20,000 infections. Until March, only twice had cases crossed 20,000 in January.

So far India has reported 11.36 million cases of which 2,07,703 cases are active infections.

The rise in infections were led by the Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh who accounted for 87.73% of new cases. Maharashtra accounted for the highest number of cases at 15,602.

India’s Covid deaths increased by 161 to 158,607 over the last 24 hours, a notable spike considering an average of about a 100 daily deaths since February.

Close to 30 million vaccine doses have been administered since the beginning of the drive on January 16 with around 1.5 million of those given between Saturday and Sunday morning, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health. About 1.4 million of those doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

The maximum deaths were also recorded in the States with the rising caseload with Maharashtra registering 88 fatalities followed by Punjab with 22 deaths and Kerala with 12 deaths.

You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.

Here are the latest updates:

Chhattisgarh

C’garh govt plans to allow use of Covaxin in state: Minister

The Chhattisgarh government is considering allowing the use of Covaxin, a vaccine against COVID-19, in the state after the Centre dropped its ‘clinical trial mode’ tag, state Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo said on Sunday.

In January, Mr. Singh Deo had requested Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to halt the supply of Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech, to the state until its phase-3 trials are completed and results are made available.

The Serum Institute of India (SII)-made vaccine Covishield is being used in the state as part of the vaccination drive.

Talking to PTI, Singh Deo said, “We are considering allowing Covaxin for those who wish to opt for it after the Government of India dropped the vaccine from clinical trial mode, even though the complete data of its third phase of trials is yet to be published.” The data (of phase-2 trials) of Covaxin published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has indicated that its safety is not in question so now the only question pending is about its efficacy, he said.

Telangana

Telangana staying alert as cases surge in neighbouring States

Telangana Health teams in districts bordering neighbouring States are taking COVID-19 sample collection kits to people’s doorstep. Other measures such as fever survey and home isolation are being enforced to contain the resurgence of the virus.

District Medical and Health Officers (DMHO) in Kamareddy, Adilabad, and other districts said they have set up check posts, and are sending medical teams to villages as well as testing contacts of coronavirus-positive patients.

Health Minister Eatala Rajender directed officials on Friday to stay alert as COVID cases are seeing a spurt in neighbouring States.

Health officials use ICU admission of COVID-19 patients as a yardstick to measure the resurgence. ICU admissions in government and private hospitals has been hovering between 340 and 360 a day from March 1 to 12.

New Delhi

JNU to reopen reading rooms, eating joints

As part of phased reopening, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Saturday said that reading rooms at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Central Library and in various centres and schools, and two of the eating joints on the campus will be permitted to reopen.

A notification dated March 12 issued by the university administration read, “The reopening of ground floor reading rooms inside the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Central Library is allowed in a phased manner. Librarian may devise standard operating preventive (SOP) measures such as mandatory wearing of the face mask and maintaining social distancing norms on library premises.”

“NSS student volunteers may be engaged to create awareness in the campus, including library premises for maintaining social distancing and wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the university campus,” the notice added.

Odisha

Odisha may promote students to next class

With the number of COVID-19 cases showing an upward trend in some parts of the country, the Odisha government is contemplating promoting all students from Classes 1 to 8 to the next higher classes this year.

If promoted, it will be the second consecutive class promotions for students without physically appearing for their examinations.

Last year, the State government had shut down schools due to the pandemic while the students were in the middle of the examinations.

School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Das expressed apprehension that there is remote chance of conducting physical classes for Classes 1 to 8 this year in view of the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the country.

New Delhi

Delhi CM gives ₹1-crore compensation to family of deceased ‘corona warrior’

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday provided financial assistance of ₹1 crore to the family of COVID warrior Rakesh Jain, a lab technician at Hindu Rao Hospital.

Jain, who would have retired in 2022, contracted COVID-19 on June 17 last year and succumbed to it the next day. Mr. Kejriwal commended Jain for continuing to serve the people till his last breath.

“Mr. Jain got infected while on duty. He was shifted to Metro Hospital, but died later. He was a martyr who served the people of Delhi till his last breath,” Mr. Kejriwal said.

Mr. Jain was a resident of Delhi and had joined service in 1988. He is survived by his mother Madan Shri Jain, wife Sangeeta Jain and two children.

U.K.

India’s role as world’s pharmacy phenomenal, says U.K. Minister

The role that India has played during the course of the coronavirus pandemic as the pharmacy of the world has been phenomenal, U.K. Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad said as he prepared for a five-day, five-city tour of India starting on Monday.

Lord Ahmad, the Minister for South Asia in the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), highlighted the close collaboration between the two countries on ensuring supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, which benefits countries across the globe through the United Nations-led COVAX facility.

“Our relationship with India is not just one of bilateral importance, it’s also about how these two countries are working together and there’s no better illustration than the current COVID-19 pandemic which grips us. The strong collaboration we have seen between the U.K. and India in responding across the world, including through the COVAX facility which is helping the more vulnerable countries in the world,” he said.

Karnataka

‘Duo with new strain of virus doing well’

Two persons from Ballari who tested positive for the South African strain of COVID-19 on Thursday are doing well.

Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday, Deputy Commissioner of Ballari Pavan Kumar Malapati said that both the patients were healthy and doing well.

“This is just another strain of COVID-19. All the protocols meant for handling the pandemic are strictly followed. Both the patients are healthy and doing well. As soon as they got the confirmation of being infected with the new strain, they got isolated. We are going to send their throat swab samples for repeated test to get the negativity of the disease confirmed,” he said.

Karnataka

Surge in new cases not uniform

Even though the number of new COVID-19 infections in Karnataka last week showed an increase of 1,000 cases compared to the previous week, the surge does not appear to be uniform across the State.

While Bengaluru Urban accounted for 639 cases out of the increase of 1,000 cases in the State during the week ending March 11, according to the Department of Health and Family Welfare, 10 districts reported a decline in number of cases during the week compared to the previous week while the numbers remained constant in five others.

However, 15 out of the 30 districts in the State have shown an increase in the week-on-week COVID-19 tally amid signs of an unmistakable surge in infections across the State.

The cases have shown an upward trend in Tumakuru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Udupi, Kolar, Ballari, Dharwad, Bidar, Uttara Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Bagalkot, Dakshina Kannada, Gadag, and Chikkmagaluru, apart from Bengaluru Urban.

Punjab

Punjab shuts all anganwadi centres due to rising cases

Punjab Minister Aruna Chaudhary on Saturday instructed that all anganwadi centres be closed till further orders in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases in the State.

The social security, women and child development minister said ration and other material will be distributed door to door through anganwadi workers and helpers, so that nutritional support to beneficiaries is not affected.

Thirty-four more fatalities due to COVID-19 were reported in Punjab on Friday, taking the death toll to 6,030, while the infection count climbed to 1,94,753 with 1,414 new coronavirus cases in the state.

New Delhi

Ambient air pollutants contribute to spread, virulence of SARS-CoV-2 infections, says Harsh Vardhan

There is emerging evidence to suggest that exposure to ambient air pollutants, especially PM2.5 and NO2, contribute to the spread and virulence SARS-CoV-2 infections, said Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday, while inaugurated the new green campus of Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (NIREH), at Bhopal.

“Furthermore, ambient air pollution is a known risk factor for multiple adverse health outcomes, including chronic cardio-respiratory morbidities, and the presence of said morbidities renders the affected population more vulnerable to COVID-19,” said the Health Minister.

To worsen matters, he added, closed indoor spaces provide ideal environments for viral transmission due to the lack of ventilation preventing the dilution of viral particles, and the absence of ultraviolet rays which can potentially inactivate the virus.

 

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Coronavirus | Will adenovirus antibodies reduce vector vaccine efficacy?

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Using the same adenovirus subtypes for repeated vaccination might result in reduced efficacy, but not in the case of inactivated vaccines

Unlike the mRNA vaccine platform used by Pfizer and Moderna, where vaccine efficacy reached 94% and 95%, respectively, the vector-based vaccine platform technology used by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson have shown lower efficacy.

While vaccine efficacy is 66% for Johnson & Johnson vaccine, AstraZeneca vaccine showed 55.1% efficacy when the second dose is administered less than six weeks after the first but 81.3% when the gap between the two doses is over 12 weeks. In contrast, Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow has reported 91.6% efficacy in phase-3 interim analysis.

Pre-existing antibodies

Is the relatively low efficacy of adenovirus-based vaccine in some people because of pre-existing antibodies towards the vector? “Adenovirus-based vaccine platforms have been in development for decades. All through that time, the issue of whether pre-existing antibodies to the adenovirus vector will affect the development of antibodies against the new target the adenovirus is carrying as antigen has remained unclear. There are studies showing that there is a loss of potency if there are pre-existing antibodies, but there are also some other studies showing that there is no major potency loss,” immunologist Dr. Satyajit Rath, formerly with the National Institute of Immunology, Delhi and now a visiting faculty at IISER Pune says in an email to The Hindu.

Dr. Rath adds: “Pre-existing antibodies against adenoviruses will stop the adenovirus particles from getting into cells and making the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein they carry the code for.” The presence of pre-existing antibodies against adenovirus and those developed after first and second dose of the vaccine becomes particularly important when repeat vaccinations are needed, as in the case of boosters against variants or yearly vaccination.

“There is always a group with fair levels of pre-existing antibodies. Sooner or later, anti-adenoviral antibodies will inevitably form, complicating the situation for subsequent vaccinations. But nobody has planned and tested a continuously variable panel of adenoviruses as vaccine vectors for long-term boosting, I am afraid!” says Dr. Rath. Virologist Dr. V. Ravi, formerly with NIMHANS also says there is no data available on how the antibodies against adenovirus subtypes will affect the efficacy of vaccines, especially with boosters.

While high levels of neutralising antibodies against adenovirus subtype Ad5 have been seen in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, neutralising antibodies against adenovirus subtype Ad26 were moderately common in the two regions. The amount of neutralising antibodies against subtype Ad26 was markedly lower than for Ad5, a 2011 study found. “If pre-existing immunity to a vector is high, you will expect low response to the cargo antigen. With a heavy dose of the vector that dampening effect can be overcome,” virologist Dr. Jacob John, formerly with CMC Vellore says in an email.

Dr. Rath agrees with Dr. John and says: “It is plausible that unless the anti-adenovirus antibodies are very efficient and are present at high levels, enough virus particles will get in to make the vaccine work well enough; 10-50 billion virus particles are injected into the muscle.”

Clever design

While Johnson & Johnson uses a single dose of Ad26 subtype, the Sputnik V vaccine uses a combination of Ad26 and Ad5 for the first and second dose, respectively. “That is a clever design,” says Dr. John about the use of two different subtypes for the first and second doses of Sputnik V. “Immunity against the first vector will not interfere with the second dose as it contains a different subtype,” says Dr. John.

The AstraZeneca vaccine uses chimpanzee adenovirus. Antibodies against the chimpanzee adenovirus are not prominent in people anywhere in the world. What then is the reason for the low efficacy of the Oxford vaccine? “My guess is the antigen mass (potency) may be relatively low, perhaps adjusted for relatively low cost of production. That is perhaps the reason for a two-dose regimen,” says Dr. John.

“Many issues are involved in determining how well a vaccine design will work. Exactly how the engineered virus was constructed is one factor, the actual number of virus particles given is another. It is not simply a matter of which adenovirus is used as the vector,” says Dr. Rath about the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Effective combinations

AstraZeneca vaccine is already being tested in combination with Pfizer and Sputnik V vaccines. “Is this to increase vaccine efficacy of the Oxford vaccine? “I think that these combinations are being tried for a variety of short-term goals – one is to try to overcome supply chain problems by mixing-and-matching, another is to keep giving a different adenovirus each time for as long as possible,” Dr. Rath says.

Dr. John too feels that a heterologous vector as second or third dose may improve vaccine efficacy. But one can be sure only when data become available. “Let me venture to say that no matter which vector was used for first immunisation, further boosters can be given using an inactivated virus vaccine (like Covaxin) or an mRNA vaccine(like Pfizer and Moderna.”

Dr. Krishna Ella, CEO of Bharat Biotech said during a press conference that people vaccinated with Covishield cannot be administered the same vaccine next year. Was he referring to antibodies that would have developed against adenovirus vector that would make repeat vaccination ineffective? “Dr. Ella might have been referring to a future third dose – which is unlikely to be useful as a booster dose because of immunity to the vector that will render the vector virus non-infectious, hence unable to deliver the cargo (spike protein) inside human cells. However, third or repeated periodic doses will be very effective using inactivated virus vaccine (Covaxin) or mRNA vaccine, which use non-immunogenic lipid vesicles,” says Dr. John.

While using the same adenovirus subtypes for repeat vaccinations might result in reduced efficacy in the case of vector-based vaccines, the inactivated vaccines do not face this problem, as seen in the case of rabies and inactivated polio vaccine. “Theoretically, repeat doses with inactivated vaccines will raise the height of immune response with no chance of any reduction of efficacy. If three doses are taken, especially with at least four months interval between second and third doses, there may not be any need for annual boosting. We will have to obtain data to confirm if the theoretical conclusion is correct in real life,” says Dr. John.

This story is available exclusively to The Hindu subscribers only.

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News18 Evening Digest: India to Review AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine and Other Top Stories

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After Blood Clot Concerns in Europe, India to Review AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine

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Slumgdog Millionaire actor Madhur Mittal, who was charged with sexually assaulting and battering his former girlfriend, has been granted interim protection from arrest by the Mumbai court. An FIR was filed against Mittal on February 23 at the Khar Police station, accusing him of sexually assaulting and battering his former girlfriend on February 13 at her Mumbai residence. READ MORE

WATCH: Washington Sundar & Jonny Bairstow Involved in Verbal Spat, Umpire Intervenes

Team India suffered a crushing defeat against England in the first T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On the day, nothing went India’s way — in batting, bowling, or even fielding. In fact, there was an on-field clash between Washington Sundar and Jonny Bairstow, that caught everyone’s attention. READ MORE

US Capitol Riot Prosecutors May Charge 400-plus People and Plea Deals May Come ‘Within Few Weeks’

The Justice Department is preparing some of the first guilty plea offers for people charged in the Capitol insurrection, as prosecutors grind through massive amounts of evidence, videos and tips against more than 400 possible defendants in an investigation called one of the “largest in American history.” READ MORE

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Mild Post-Vaccine Reactions Are Unpleasant, But Maybe Reassuring That Immune System Is Responding

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With several recipients of vaccines against the coronavirus complaining of side-effects post the shots, concerns are being raised about its impact on citizens. Vaccine beneficiaries have mostly complained of fever and fatigue. While for most, the issues fade after a day or two, some are facing trouble for longer hours.

According to a report in Bloomberg, typical symptoms include a sore arm, usually localised to the area the inoculation was given, and systemic symptoms, such as a mild fever or elevated temperature, headache and muscle aches. Studies have found younger adults reporting such reactions more frequently than elderly people (above 65 years).

The report further said that while the reactions may be unpleasant, they are usually short-lived and far less serious than what happens after a natural infection. Vaccines are extensively tested for safety before being released. Once they are administered on a large-scale bases, they are rigorously monitored in “post-marketing” surveillance systems for unexpected or rare reactions that are too uncommon to have been picked up in clinical trials. While adverse reactions to a vaccine are not uncommon, these products would not have received licences if they were likely to be severe or long-lasting.

The report said that feeling lousy after vaccination could be reassuring although there is not enough data to confirm it. At least, a mild, short-lived fever signals that the immune system is responding in a way that should confer protection against the coronavirus if it is encountered for real.

It said a slight fever below about 38.5 degrees Celsius (101 degrees Fahrenheit) is part of the body’s normal response to infection and is not harmful. If it can be tolerated, rest and fluids are the ideal remedy, said English. A sustained temperature above 39 degrees Celsius is more serious, especially in infants. Taking aspirin, acetaminophen/paracetamol (such as Tylenol), or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen to relieve pain and fever is not likely to impair the quality of the immune response.

Reactions usually result from the immune system’s response to the key component — an antigen that resembles whatever bug it is designed to fight.

Normally, when a body encounters a bacteria, virus or some other potential foe, immune defences seek to neutralise and destroy it. Chemicals that attract cells to kill the invader are released in a process that can raise the body temperature, Peter English, a consultant in communicable disease control in the UK, was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. A vast army of so-called T cells and B cells are recruited to generate lasting “memory” of the foe and how to thwart it. “In learning to recognize the pathogen, the body goes through the same immune reactions as it would if it had met the pathogen for real, producing many of the same reactions,” English said.

Vaccines may also contain components that can induce a reaction, or enhance the immune response to the vaccine antigens, English said. Covid-19 vaccines may also include preservatives to prevent the vaccine from spoiling.

Regarding reactions being seen after the second dose, the report said it takes some time for the immune system to hone its response to a new pathogen. Immune memory cells are programmed such that when they encounter an invader a second time — either from a natural infection or vaccine antigens — they are primed to respond faster and more vigorously. That recognition typically triggers mass-production of immune-signaling molecules or “cytokines” that are responsible for the muscle aches, fevers, chills and fatigue recipients sometimes feel. The positive side of this is that the second encounter acts as a booster that should result in a more robust, longer-lasting immune response.

For those who have already survived the virus, their reaction to the shot may be more pronounced, but the benefits are likely to be so as well. Researchers have found antibody levels of those with pre-existing immunity were 10 to 45 times as high as those without at the same points in time after the first vaccine dose. Localised reactions to the vaccine occurred with equal frequency in both groups at the time of vaccination and resolved spontaneously days later. However, systemic side effects, like such as fatigue, headache, chills, fever and muscle aches, occurred after vaccination in 89% of those with pre-existing immunity compared with 46% of recipients without any.

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WATCH: Singer Dolly Parton Marks Her Covid Vaccination with Rendition of Her Hit Song Jolene

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American country music singer Dolly Parton received the Moderna coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday but in her own unique musical way. The 75-year-old singer, who also funded the research for the Moderna vaccine in the US, sang a Covid version of her hit song ‘Jolene’ urging people to take the shot.

Taking to her social media handle, Dolly posted a video where she was seen singing praises of the vaccine. Sharing the three-minute fifty-five-second video on Twitter, the singer captioned it as “Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine.” The video opens with the artist enthusiastically announcing that she is finally getting her vaccine shot. She further says that she is old enough to get it earlier and she is smart enough to get it. The singer also urges her followers and fans to get the vaccine shot and said that she has even changed her song to fit the occasion.

She sings her pandemic rendition of Jolene as: “Vaccine Vaccine Vaccine Vaccine, I’m begging of you please don’t hesitate.” With her trademark heavy southern American accent Dolly sings, “Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, because once you’re dead, then that’s a bit too late.”

But that was not all, Dolly further says in the video that she knows that she is trying to be funny now, but she is dead serious about the vaccine. The philanthropist, who donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which worked with the pharmaceutical company Moderna to develop one of the first coronavirus vaccines to be authorized in the US, said in the video that we all should want to get back to normal, whatever that might be, with a great shot in the arm.

The businesswoman also said in the video: “I just want to say to all of you cowards out there, don’t be such a chicken squat.” She added that people should get out there and get their shot. After sending out her message, Dolly welcomed the doctor who, as she likes to put it, popped her in the arm with the vaccine shot at Vanderbilt Health in Tennessee.



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