Tag: Covid 19 Vaccine

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found evidence that the immune response to Covid-19 vaccines, namely Pfizer and Moderna, is both strong and potentially long-lasting.

In a letter to Union Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Das requested the former to provide additional, 6 lakh doses of Covishiled vaccine to continue the ongoing vaccination drive in the State.

British-Swedish biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has in partnership with the University of Oxford rolled out human trials for booster shots against Beta Covid variant.

Even as Odisha grapples with a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines for the ongoing mass inoculation drive, an alleged instance of illegal selling of vaccines by a Community Health Center employee has come to light in the district

Due to poor presence of private hospitals in the health care sector in the State, Odisha wants the government and private vaccine allocation ratio of 75:25 to be revised to 95:05 ratio.

New York, June 26 (IANS) As SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, evolves it tends to mutate and bring new variants as well as cause changes to the spike protein -- a fact that can render the current vaccines targeting the protein ineffective. Researchers from the Boston Children's Hospital, have found new properties in the spike protein of the Alpha, first identified in the UK and Beta, first identified in South Africa variants. The changes to the 'spike' protein explains faster spread of Alpha, and how the Beta variant evades immune responses, suggesting the need for a booster with an updated vaccine. "The mutations make antibodies stimulated by the current vaccine less effective," said Bing Chen, in the division of Molecular Medicine at Boston Children's. "The Beta variant is somewhat resistant to the current vaccines, and we think a booster with the new genetic sequence can be beneficial for protecting against this variant," Chen added. Spike proteins, on the surface of SARS CoV-2, are what enable the virus to attach to and enter our cells, and all current vaccines are directed against them. The new study, published in Science, used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to compare the spike protein from the original virus with that of the Alpha and Beta variants. The structural findings indicate that mutations in the Beta variant (also known as B1351) change the shape of the spike surface at certain locations. As a result, neutralising antibodies induced by current vaccines are less able to bind to the Beta virus, which may allow it to evade the immune system even when people are vaccinated. However, the study also found that mutations in the Beta variant make the spike less effective in binding to ACE2 -- suggesting that this variant is less transmissible than the Alpha variant. As for the Alpha variant (B117), the study confirms that a genetic change in the spike (a single amino acid substitution) helps the virus bind better to ACE2 receptors, making it more infectious. However, testing indicates that antibodies elicited by existing vaccines can still neutralise this variant.

A single dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine offers around 60 per cent protection against infection from SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, in adults aged 65 years and above, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious.

AstraZeneca said new data from Public Health England (PHE) demonstrated COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca offers high levels of protection against the Delta variant (B.1.617.2; formerly the ‘Indian variant).

Eleven individuals who received the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine have developed a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome, clinicians in India and England have reported in two separate studies.

A parents' association and students flagged several concerns with regard to the CBSE and ICSE schemes for evaluation for Class 12 results and said that many clauses are arbitrary and would be detrimental to future prospects of the students.

In a significant development, India's cumulative vaccination coverage has exceeded 28 crores on Sunday, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Monday.

People who got Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine showed "substantially higher" levels of antibodies compared to those who received China's Sinovac shots, according to a new study.

Amid shortage of Covid jabs in many states, the Centre on Sunday announced that more than 3.06 crore vaccine doses are still available with the states and the Union Territories (UTs) to be administered, and over 24 lakh will be provided to them within three days.

As per experts, a vaccine will be considered a marathoner protector if it is able to produce good spike protein antibodies. A spike protein antibody test can confirm whether claims made by Covisheild and Covaxin are true

A 32-year-old woman allegedly died after she was administered Covid-19 jab in Odisha.