Tag: Vaccine
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One year of pandemic
Vaccine a bright spot, but no dearth of challenges
A year has passed since the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic after over a lakh cases of Covid-19 were confirmed across the world, transforming nearly every aspect of life and livelihood in critical ways. Effective tools have been developed to control the pandemic, but the repercussions of even momentary complacency have played out in recent weeks with a surge in coronavirus cases. Downplaying the risk factor, especially with the emergence of newer variants, is fraught with danger. Some sobering statistics need to be highlighted to mark 365 days: more than 11.74 crore confirmed cases and 26 lakh deaths in 221 countries and territories.
That eight vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, have been approved by at least one country indicates a miraculous collaborative effort. Yet, the rollout can only be seen as a starting point. The race to end the pandemic and reduce it to a sporadic or endemic disease will be a long-drawn one. Studies predict that most high-income countries will have vaccinated their populations by early next year, but bigger hurdles need to be overcome: over 80 poor countries will have to wait until 2023. Simply put, the world won’t be back to normal travel, trade and supply chains until maybe 2024 unless rich countries play a proactive role in ensuring a level-playing field by waiving patents and supporting delivery. New Delhi’s outreach in this regard deserves global applause and recognition.
The post-vaccine patterns in Israel and the UK have shown promising results, as the rate of new infections seems to be declining. Extensive research is already underway the world over to determine, among other things, how long the protection lasts, whether booster doses are required and the vaccine’s impact on viral transmission. Until high levels of population immunity via inoculation are achieved, precautionary measures will have to be kept in place. Any letup in outbreak responses could mean inviting serious trouble. The year gone by has been witness to immeasurable pain. Ensuring there’s no repeat demands individual and collective responsibility.
(Tribune, India)
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African nations still encouraged to use AstraZeneca vaccine
Nairobi (TIP): African countries without the coronavirus variant dominant in South Africa should go ahead and use the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, while the World Health Organisation suggested the vaccine even for countries with the variant circulating widely. They spoke to reporters a day after South Africa announced it would not use the AstraZeneca vaccine, citing a small study that suggested it was poor at preventing mild to moderate disease caused by the variant.
Africa CDC director John Nkengasong said seven countries on the 54-nation African continent have reported the variant and none besides South Africa is “overwhelmed” by it.
No other country has expressed concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine. The seven countries are South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia.
In a separate briefing, WHO Africa chief Matshidiso Moeti added Tanzania to that list, saying two travellers from there had been found to be carrying the variant in “the UK, I believe”.
Tanzania’s president has denied that COVID-19 exists in the East African nation, which has not updated its number of infections since April, even though reports are growing of a surge in infections there.
Africa is only now beginning to see the large-scale arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, and this week’s news from South Africa, the continent’s hardest hit country, was a shock.
The Africa CDC says African countries with the variant now dominant in South Africa should speed up plans to introduce all COVID-19 vaccines that have received emergency use authorisation or approval by regulatory authorities, while considering their effectiveness against variants first reported in South Africa and the UK.
Suggesting that countries go ahead with the AstraZeneca vaccine even if the variant is circulating widely, the WHO’s Moeti said “what’s important is the opportunity is there to continue to study the vaccine” and its effectiveness.
AstraZeneca doses are expected to start arriving in other parts of Africa in the next two weeks, the Africa CDC’s Nkengasong said.
And WHO’s Moeti looked forward to a significant rollout of vaccines in March, adding that 34 of Africa’s countries now have their rollout plans in place.On Thursday, Equatorial Guinea said it had received 100,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine. It was the first West African nation to receive a large amount of the vaccine. Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue has said he will be the first to be vaccinated. AP
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A Webinar on Augmenting US-India Healthcare Relations under Covid Challenge
NEW YORK (TIP): Global Indian Trade and Cultural Council, USA in collaboration with Consulate General of India, NY has started a Webinar series. The first webinar is scheduled for June 1st, 2020 on Augmenting US India Healthcare Relations under Covid Challenge. This will have professionals from Covid 19 vaccine manufacturing companies, IT company Birlasoft who specialize in healthcare software, distinguished Professors from Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Panjab University, Pharmaceutical Scientist from NIPER, India, Ex Director Organization of Pharmaceutical Produces of India, Banker and Media professional, according to Mr. H.S. Panaser, Chair, Global Indian Trade and Culture, USA.
Speaking to The Indian Panorama on the need for series of webinars to deal with the subject of cooperation between the U.S. and India in the pharmaceutical sector, Mr. Panaser said: “The dependencies and inter-dependencies of globalization especially between US India, have been in headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic—and nowhere more so than in the Healthcare segment. More so, in pharmaceutical industry. We don’t yet know how the medicine and vaccine challenge will end. Whether it be avipiravir, remdesivir or something else. It is unclear which drug, if any, will work. It may be an Indian company Bharat Biotech or American company or an Oxford lab that is hailed as a hero for a treatment or prevention, the task is not just about discovering a treatment or vaccine that works, but making it available to as many people as possible in as short a time as possible. Successful accomplishment of that task—especially in the global south is difficult to envisage without Indian involvement. COVID-19 ignores borders and the solutions to address it will need to overcome them too.
“Therefore, there was a need for a school of thought to bring on a platform from the field of Academia, Industry and Government, Mr. Panaser said.
Mr. Panaser spoke at length about the Indian pharmaceutical scene and the healthcare sector. “The Indian healthcare sector is expected to reach Rs 19,56,920 crore (US$ 280 billion) by 2020. Rising income level, greater health awareness, increased precedence of lifestyle diseases and improved access to insurance would be the key contributors to growth. Indian Pharmaceuticals is a sunrise industry with a competitive advantage for India globally. we should leverage India’s position by unleashing entrepreneur spirit the bullish outlook for health care segment is now taking India in a forward momentum. The market size of India in Pharmaceuticals alone is estimated to be $100 billion and medical devices is $25 billion by 2025. Now with amendment in FDI policy where one can invest up to 100% specially if it is medical devices segment where India is importing 80% of medical devices”, Mr. Panaser said.
“This webinar will discuss the US India Healthcare Relations to kickstart Exchange program of Student, research fellows in Universities, research institutes, Medical Colleges in the field of Pharmaceuticals, Medicine, Healthcare AI, MT by IT companies and Medical Devices.
‘Such webinars will set a movement to spearhead collaborative mindset and a platform for FDI, mergers and joint ventures under Prime Minister Modi’s $13 billion for three pharmaceutical parks in India and up to 100% FDI in Medical devices. Covid 19 has been an Eye opener – the present Government has done more in last few weeks than what was done in years.
“Indian government has to make new policies for top Universities with research and institutes like National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research with top scientist to allow them collaboration with public private partnership and to have India’s best leadership.
The following is the list of people who along with Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty are on the panel.
1.Mr. T. Srinivas, CFO, Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad, India
2.Mr. Sai Prasad, President QC, Bharat Biotech, India
3.Mr. Roop Singh, Chief Business Officer, Birlasoft, USA
4.Prof. Charles N Pozner, MD, Emergency Medicine, Harvard University, USA
5.Prof. Subroto Chatterjee, John Hopkins University of Medicine, USA.
6.Prof.(Dr) T.R. Bhardawaj , Vice Chancellor, Baddi University (Pharmaceuticals),India
7.Prof, (Dr) Pradeep Gupta, Burroghs Wellcome Professor of Pharmaceuticals, USciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
8.Prof.(Dr) Saranjit Singh, Pharmaceutical Scientist, National Institute and Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, Punjab, India
9.Prof. (Dr) Kanwaljit Chopra, Chairperson, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
10.Mr. Vivek Padgaonkar, Director- Project & Policy, OPPI (Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India)
11.Mr. Yash Dani, VP, Fulton Bank, NJ, USA
12.Prof. Indrajit Saluja, Editor, The Indian Panorama, NY, USA, Media
Moderator: H S Panaser, Chair, Global Indian Trade and Culture, USA