SII’s Covishield approved by India: Efficacy, cost and all about AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine

AstraZeneca had signed an agreement with Serum Institute of India (SII) to produce 1 billion doses of its experimental vaccine for low- and middle-income countries.

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India News/ Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: A government’s expert panel has reportedly approved the vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, for emergency use in India to provide immunity against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). According to news agency Reuters, a subject expert committee, set up by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to vet Covid-19 vaccine proposals, recommended granting emergency use authorisation to AstraZeneca’s vaccine AZD1222, dubbed in India as Covishield.

AstraZeneca had signed an agreement with Serum Institute of India (SII) to produce 1 billion doses of its experimental vaccine for low- and middle-income countries. The Pune-based company has sought an emergency use authorisation for the Covid-19 vaccine which recently received approval from British regulators.

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Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Wednesday authorised the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine for deployment across the United Kingdom on the conditions that the vaccine should be administered in two doses, with the second dose given between 4 and 12 weeks after the first.

Here’s all you need to know about the vaccine:

Efficacy: In two different dosing regimens, the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine showed the efficacy of 90 per cent and 62 per cent. In participants who received two full doses at least one month apart, vaccine efficacy was 62 per cent, and in participants who received a low dose followed by a full dose, efficacy was 90 per cent.

Also Read|India may approve AstraZeneca vaccine by next week

Safety: The Lancet publication, a leading medical journal, has confirmed that AZD1222 was well tolerated and there were no serious safety events confirmed related to the vaccine. The safety data published is from over 20,000 participants, so far, enrolled across four clinical trials in the UK and Brazil and South Africa.

Storage: The AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions (2°C to 8°C) for at least six months.

Cost: Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of SII, had told Hindustan Times that Covidshield will be priced in India at Rs 500-600.

Also Read| SII’s Covishield approved by India: Efficacy, cost and all about AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine

Technology: AZD1222 is made of a weakened and modified version of adenovirus (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 SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.

News Source: Hidustan Times

European neighbours shut doors to Britain amid rapid spread of new coronavirus strain

 World News/ Covid-19 : Britain’s European neighbours began closing their doors to travellers from the United Kingdom on Sunday amid alarm about a rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus that has caused cases to soar there.

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France said it would bar all people coming from the United Kingdom for 48 hours from Sunday night, including freight carriers, whether by road, air, sea or rail.

Germany, Italy and the Netherlands ordered a suspension of flights from Britain, while Ireland said it would impose restrictions on flights and ferries from its neighbour.

Belgium said it would close its borders to flights and trains - including the popular Eurostar service - coming from the United Kingdom.

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“The COVID variant recently discovered in London is worrying and will need to be investigated by our scientists,” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.

“In the meantime we choose the path of maximum prudence.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that the new strain had led to spiralling infection numbers. His government tightened its COVID-19 restrictions for London and nearby areas, and also reversed plans to ease restrictions over the Christmas period.

The travel curbs also compound problems for the United Kingdom as it finally exits the European Union on Dec. 31 after a transition period this year. London and Brussels have so far failed to reach a post-Brext trade deal, raising the prospect of chaos in goods traffic.

Also Read|COVID-19 Vaccine Can Turn People Into "Crocodiles", Says Brazilian President Bolsonaro

The German government said all flights from the United Kingdom would be suspended from midnight.

“It (the virus mutation) has not yet been identified in Germany,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told public broadcaster ARD. “But of course we take the reports from Britain very seriously.”

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said the ban on incoming travel from Britain covers Eurostar services via the Channel Tunnel and will take effect for at least 24 hours from midnight on Sunday, broadcaster VRT said.

The Italian order blocked any flights departing from Britain and prohibited anyone who had transited through it in the last 14 days from entering Italy.

The Netherlands banned flights carrying passengers from the United Kingdom from Sunday and the restrictions will remain in place until Jan. 1, the Dutch government said.

Austria is also planning to ban flights from Britain, the APA news agency said, citing the health ministry. Sweden said it was preparing a decision to ban entry from the United Kingdom.

Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic also announced plans to bar flights from the United Kingdom.

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LAST TICKETS

At London’s St. Pancras International station, the terminal for Eurostar, thousands of travellers tried to secure places on trains.

“We got the last two tickets for today,” said a Frenchman named Leny. “We each respectively had tickets for Monday and Tuesday. But given the situation and what is happening we didn’t want to take any risk. And we were the last to be able to do so.”

The new variant in Britain has added a twist to a battle against the virus that many countries in Europe are waging.

The number of coronavirus cases in Britain surged by 35,928 on Sunday, the highest daily rise since the start of the pandemic, and it recorded 326 deaths, taking the official toll to more than 67,000.

In addition to the measures announced for England, the United Kingdom’s other nations, who control their own anti-coronavirus policies, tightened restrictions. Scotland has imposed a ban on travel to the rest of the United Kingdom.

News Source: Reuters

Uk Watchdog issued allergy warning for Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine

 UK's Medicines and Healthcare products regulatory agency issued the advisory after two NHS workers developed allergies shortly after receiving the Pfizer vaccine; they're stable now.

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World News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: British healthcare regulator has issued a warning that individuals with history of serious allergies shouldn't be given the newly approved Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The advisory was issued after two NHS workers suffered allergic reactions on Tuesday.

Medicines and Healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA) said that the allergy advisory applies to people that have had reactions to medicines, food or vaccines, reported the BBC.

Dr June Raine, chief executive of MHRA, informed a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that the cases of severe allergic reactions didn't appear during vaccine trials. "We know from the very extensive clinical trials that this wasn't a feature. But if we need to strengthen our advice, now that we've had this experience in the vulnerable populations - the groups have been selected as a priority - we get that advice to the field immediately," said Dr Raine.

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The two UK healthcare workers reportedly developed anaphylactoid reaction shortly after the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was administered to them, the report said. They received treatment shortly after, and are stable now.

Also Read| Pfizer wants approval for emergency use in India after UK

Anaphylactoid reactios appear as skin rashes, breathlessnes and a drop in blood pressure. this is often different from anaphylaxis, which may cause death.

Notably, both individuals have prior history of allergies and carried adernaline pens for fiirst aid within the event of severe reactions.

The Pfizer-BioNTech jab, codenamed BNT162b2, became the first ever vacccine against coronavirus to receive emergency use approval - first in the UK then in Bahrain. the companies have also approved regulators in India for emergency use authorisation of the inoculation, but it seems like a long shot, considering the very fact it's never underwent any trials within the country. The vaccine has got to be stored at extremely frigid temperatures of -70 degree Centigrade , which presents another argument against its appoval by the Indian regulator.

Also Read| UK approved Pfizer-BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine, Vaccination starting from next week

Meanwhile, the united kingdom has began to vaccinate its priority groups against COVID-19 using the Pfizer vaccine. Margaret Keenan, 90, and Shakespeare , 81, were the first and second recipients of the jab vaccine in the world. British government intends to administer 800,000 in the coming weeks.