New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India is committed to&nbsp;ensuring accessibility and affordability of vaccines for all.Addressing the Seventh Annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals of UN, Dr Jitendra Singh said,&nbsp;India has been strongly advocating for the principle of equity in the WHO and has also proposed, along with South Africa, a TRIPS waiver at the WTO for COVID vaccines, diagnostics, and medicines. He said, India is working actively with&nbsp;the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), World Health Organization (WHO) and the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to realize this goal.&nbsp;The Multi-Stakeholder Forum this year is focussing on science, technology and innovation for building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Dr Jitendra Singh told the delegates that that the&nbsp;enormous power of digital and information technology has been a key component of global response to Covid. He added, utilizing India’s strength in the digital space, New Delhi decided to share with the world, India-developed Co-WIN App,&nbsp;to provide digital support to better organize vaccination drives. The Minister said, India has long been fostering Science Technology and Innovation and nurturing an enabling ecosystem to incubate and scale revolutionary ideas, help improve the quality of lives of people and provide solutions to global problems. This has become even more crucial in the current scenario, he added.Referring to the global effort to overcome the challenges caused by the pandemic in the last two years,&nbsp;Dr Jitendra Singh said,&nbsp;India has emerged as a member of leading international scientific coalitions&nbsp;in vaccine research. Our scientific community, along with the support of a robust pharmaceutical industry, have been successful in developing and producing safe, effective, and affordable vaccines, including the world’s first DNA based vaccine, the Minister asserted.Indian Minister cautioned the members that the current data on COVID-19 cases demonstrates that we are still far from a post-pandemic world and called for meaningful partnership by pooling resources and sharing knowledge. He said, Science, Technology and Innovation cooperation with a spirit of collaboration is a key to accelerate our collective response to COVID-19 and also towards sustainable development. He reiterated that STI should become an inclusive and equitable tool for SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) delivery based on affordable, accessible and available technological innovation.Dr Jitendra Singh said, Technology-driven creative business models and service delivery have a vast potential to fast-track the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in a cost-effective, transparent and inclusive manner. However we need to facilitate access to technology for developing countries to tackle challenges related to sustainable development. He said, in India, Science and Technology has become a vital tool in the post-pandemic recovery as we build back better and added that India is bridging the digital divide by leveraging technology solutions that are low cost, developmental and designed to empower all citizens, especially women.&nbsp;Today the number of Internet users in the villages has exceeded that of the cities and Public services&nbsp;and last mile delivery are linked to digital platforms. All these have contributed to advancing the achievement of SDGs, the Minister added.&nbsp;In his concluding remarks, Dr Jitendra Singh said, in the spirit of South-South Cooperation, India is collaborating with the Technology Facilitation Mechanism and UN’s Interagency Task Team (IATT) in supporting pilot countries from Africa and other developing world in formulating and implementing their Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals Roadmaps

 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India is committed to ensuring accessibility and affordability of vaccines for all.

Dr Jitendra says, India committed to ensuring accessibility and affordability of vaccines for all

Adelaide: Peter Malinauskas, Premier of the state South Australia (SA), on Sunday announced that flu vaccines would be made free until June 30 effective immediately amid the ongoing battle against Covid-19. Previously, only pensioners, young children and immunocompromised people were eligible for free flu vaccines, with everyone else facing out-of-pocket costs, reports Xinhua news agency.Malinauskas said the move would relieve pressure on SA's hospitals amid a spike in flu and coronavirus infections. "We must do everything we can to ensure as many South Australians as possible are immunized against both Covid-19 and influenza to ease pressure on our hospitals," he said. "The dual challenge of broad community spread of Covid-19 and influenza at the same time during winter threatens to put further pressure on a hospital system already facing significant demand." Until May 8, there had been 10,599 confirmed influenza cases in Australia compared to fewer than 1,000 in 2021 amid coronavirus restrictions and border closures.Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association, welcomed the decision to make flu vaccines free. "It's an important move, not only to increase access to people who could not previously have been eligible or afforded it, but also as an important signal to all South Australians to get a flu shot as overflowing hospitals face their first true flu season in three years," he told the local media.—IANS

Peter Malinauskas, Premier of the state South Australia (SA), on Sunday announced that flu vaccines would be made free until June 30 effective immediately amid the ongoing battle against Covid-19.

Aus state announces free flu vaccines amid Covid battle

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Covid immunisation programme uses vaccinations that are made by outside companies, which are acknowledged to be safe and effective. According to the Center, there is no evidence that would allow the state to be held strictly liable for the terrible deaths of the petitioners' respective children.
The Center further emphasised that receiving the Covid-19 vaccination is not legally required.
The Center's response was given in response to a petition submitted by the parents of two girls who had died as a result of adverse reactions to the Covid vaccine.
"There is no material to suggest how the state can be fastened with strict liability for the tragic death of the respective children of the petitioners," the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated in an affidavit. "This is the requirement in law to sustain a claim for compensation against the state under Article 32 of the Constitution."
The vaccines used in the vaccination campaign, according to the ministry, are produced by third parties, have successfully passed regulatory assessment in India and other countries, and are acknowledged as safe and effective across the globe.
"Given these facts, it is most humbly submitted that holding the state directly liable to pay damages under the narrow scope of strict liability for extremely rare deaths occurring as a result of AEFI (Adverse Events Following Immunization) from the use of vaccines may not be legally sustainable," it said.
According to the Health Ministry, in the event that an AEFI results in physical harm or death, vaccine recipients or their families are entitled to legal recourse, including the right to file a lawsuit in civil court seeking damages or compensation for carelessness, malfeasance, or misfeasance.
It said that although the deaths were terrible, the government could not be held accountable and that such claims may be decided on an individual basis in an appropriate court.
Although the government highly advises all eligible individuals to take the vaccine in the benefit of the public, the Health Ministry stated in the affidavit submitted on November 23 that there is no legal requirement for the same.
The government's statement was in response to a petition brought by the parents of two girls who had died as a result of side effects from the Covid vaccine and who were being represented by attorney Satya Mitra.
The parents' request for an impartial committee to investigate the deaths and for the timely release of the autopsy and investigation findings resulted in the apex court serving notice to the Centre in August. The petitioners also requested financial compensation and recommendations for the prompt identification and care of anyone experiencing negative side effects from Covid vaccinations.
The petitioners' legal representative claimed that the first petitioner's 18-year-old daughter died in June 2021 after taking the first dose of Covishield in May 2021. The second petitioner's 20-year-old daughter died in July 2021 after receiving the first dose of Covishield in June 2021.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The Covid immunisation programme uses vaccinations that are made by outside companies, which are acknowledged to be safe and effective. According to the Center, there is no evidence that would allow the state to be held strictly liable for the terrible deaths of the petitioners' respective children.

The government cannot be held accountable for deaths caused by third-party Covid vaccines: Center to SC

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami asked the state health department on Thursday to launch a drive to administer booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the beneficiaries for effectively controlling the pandemic.
He asked officials of the department to start holding camps to administer booster doses to people from Friday.
Awareness about the importance of the booster dose should be raised and people should be encouraged to get vaccinated against the viral disease, Dhami said, adding that if fresh cases are reported, the samples should be sent for genome sequencing. The Covid control rooms should be activated in all the districts, he said. Dhami issued the instructions while chairing a high-level meeting of health department officials to discuss steps to curb the spread of the virus. Uttarakhand Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat joined the meeting virtually and emphasised the importance of booster doses.
Held at the secretariat, the meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary S S Sandhu, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar and Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi. The meeting was convened in the backdrop of a recent spurt in the number of Covid cases in several countries, including China.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to all the states and Union territories on Tuesday, putting an emphasis on the whole genome-sequencing of positive Covid cases to track new variants of the virus. —PTI

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami asked the state health department on Thursday to launch a drive to administer booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the beneficiaries for effectively controlling the pandemic.

Dhami Orders Drive To Administer Booster Doses Of Covid Vaccines

New Delhi: India has announced a donation of 12,500 doses of pentavalent vaccines to Cuba. The decision was announced during Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi's visit to Cuba from January 12-14.
During her visit, Meenakashi Lekhi held a meeting with Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel and discussed matters of bilateral importance and political and economic cooperation, according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Pentavalent vaccine provides protection to a child from 5 life-threatening diseases -
Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib.
Meenakashi Lekhi tweeted, "Glad to call on H.E. Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, President of Cuba today and discuss with him the entire gamut of cooperation between our two friendly countries." MoS for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi was received by Cuban National Assembly Speaker Lazo Hernandez. The interaction between the two leaders included the development of indigenous vaccines against COVID and women empowerment.
"Pleased to meet H.E. Esteban Lazo Hernandez, President of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power and discuss with him means of strengthening cooperation between parliaments of the two countries. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @CubaMINREX," Lekhi wrote in a tweet.
Lekhi apprised Hernandez about policies of Indian government and stressed on the need to further bolster cooperation between the parliaments of India and Cuba, according to the statement released by MEA.
Esteban Lazo Hernandez appreciated India for its support for Cuba at the United Nations, assistance projects and LOC and in training Cuban nationals under ITEC and others subjects.
Meenakashi Lekhi also held a meeting with Cuba's Acting Minister of External Relations of Cuba Gerardo Penalver Portal. The two sides discussed issues of common interest and expressed readiness to enhance cooperation in development assistance programmes, trade and investment, energy, disaster management, culture, health and pharma, AYUSH, and biotechnology.
Furthermore, Meenakashi Lekhi and Gerardo Penalver Portal held detailed discussions on LiFE, CDRI, International Year of Millets 2023, sustainability and climate change, according to the MEA statement.
Lekhi also held a meeting with Cuba's Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso Grau and agreed on further strengthening ties in culture with increased exchanges and cooperation, including cinema.
During her visit, Lekhi visited Fidel Castro Centre in Havana and the 'panchakarma centre' in International Health Centre (La Pradera) that was set up in association with AYUSH Ministry.
She also held interactions with the La Pradera Director and practitioners of Ayurveda. She also paid floral tributes to Jose Marti at his monument in Havana. Furthermore, Lekhi paid floral tribute at Mahatma Gandhi's bust in Havana. —ANI

India has announced a donation of 12,500 doses of pentavalent vaccines to Cuba. The decision was announced during Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi's visit to Cuba from January 12-14.

India Announces Donation Of 12,500 Doses Of Pentavalent Vaccines To Cuba

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday stating that media reports claiming admission of 'multiple side-effects of COVID-19 vaccinations' by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) authorities are ill-informed and incorrect.
According to a recent news article that cited an RTI response, officials from the ICMR and CDSCO have admitted to side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. The article went on to list a range of ramifications that have arisen from these admission.
"It is clarified that the news report is ill-informed and provides erroneous information," the ministry said, referring to the report.—Inputs from Agencies

The Union Health Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday stating that media reports claiming admission of 'multiple side-effects of COVID-19 vaccinations' by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) authorities are ill-informed and incorrect

Media report on 'multiple side-effects of Covid vaccines' ill-informed, erroneous: Health Ministry

Cambridge: Cambridge scientists have discovered a blood pattern that could help predict how well an individual will respond to immunisations. The study, which was published in Nature Communications, could explain why, even within susceptible patient groups, some people respond better to immunisations than others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that some patients are better protected by vaccination than others. Many studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are less effective in people with weakened immune systems, but also that this effect is not uniform. Vaccination involves priming the immune system to look for - and get rid of - invading pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria. In part, this involves stimulating the production of antibodies uniquely programmed to identify a particular invader. These antibodies are themselves produced by a type of immune cell known as a B cell. One specific subset of B cells is known as age-associated B cells (ABCs). While, on average, less than one in 20 of a healthy individual's B cells is an ABC, the proportion gradually increases as we get older. The reasons for this increase are not yet fully understood, but may include previous infections. Certain people with weakened immune systems accumulate ABCs still faster. A team from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Cambridge, led by Dr James Thaventhiran, examined ABCs from two very different patient groups - one comprised of people with an inherited condition that impairs the activity of their immune systems and a second group comprised of cancer patients taking immunotherapy drugs - as well as from healthy individuals. Emily Horner, from Thaventhiran's lab, explained the aim of this research: "By looking at patients' B cells, we hoped to learn how we could stratify vulnerable patients - in other words, work out whether some patients were at greater risk from infection, even after vaccination, than others." The researchers measured the relative proportion of ABCs compared to healthy B cells, and used a technique known as single cell RNA sequencing to look in detail at the activity of cells. They also teamed up with Dr Nicholas Matheson, from the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, to test how these factors influenced the ability of a vaccinated individual's immune system to neutralise live SARS-CoV-2 virus. Dr Yam-Puc, also from the MRC Toxicology Unit, said: "What we found, much to our surprise, was that the age-associated B cells in these very different groups looked the same. The key difference was in the amount of these cells - the greater the proportion of ABCs in an individual's blood, the less effective that individual was post-vaccination at neutralising the virus." This could help explain the variability seen within particular patient groups in responses to the vaccine: people with fewer ABCs are likely to respond better to vaccines. Although the researchers examined ABCs in the context of responses to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, they believe that this phenomenon will almost certainly apply more widely, for example to the annual influenza vaccine. Dr Pehuen Pereyra Gerber, who performed the experiments with live SARS-CoV-2 virus in Matheson's lab, added: "Looking at blood levels of ABCs could tell us that person A should respond well to a vaccine, while person B might need a stronger vaccine or to be prioritised to receive a booster." Thaventhiran added: "Ultimately, this research could lead to the development of a clinical test to predict vaccine efficacy for immunodeficient patients, and for the population more generally." —ANI

Cambridge scientists have discovered a blood pattern that could help predict how well an individual will respond to immunisations

'Ageing' Immune Cell Levels May Predict How Well We Respond To Vaccines: Research

New Delhi: At the G20 Health Ministers' Meeting, participants reached an agreement on the importance of providing low and middle income countries, as well as small island developing states, with equitable access to safe, quality-assured, and affordable vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other medical countermeasures. All 25 paragraphs of the outcome document addressing the geopolitical situation in Ukraine were approved by all G20 delegations with the exception of paragraph 22, which deals with the chair's summary.
According to the document released after the 19th of August meeting in Gandhinagar, a consensus was reached on establishing a platform for making open-source and inter-operable digital solutions readily available, as well as establishing a research and development and manufacturing network for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The health ministers also hope that by May 2024, negotiations in the intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) for a legally binding World Health Organisation convention, accord, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, readiness, and response would have resulted in a positive resolution. According to reports, health ministers agreed to make climate-resilient health systems development a top priority in order to reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change. They also pledged to work towards creating low-carbon/low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission health systems and healthcare supply chains that provide high-quality care.
By bolstering multi-sectoral governance, coordination, research and development, infection prevention and control, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), awareness of AMR, responsible use of antimicrobials, and preservation of existing therapeutics across human, animal, and plant sectors through antimicrobials, the G20 members committed to tackling AMR (antimicrobial resistance) comprehensively following the One Health approach. Also, according to reports, they acknowledged the potential importance of traditional and complementary medicine (T&amp;CM) based on evidence and noted WHO's initiatives in this respect, such as global and collaborating centres and clinical trial registries.—Inputs from Agencies

At the G20 Health Ministers' Meeting, participants reached an agreement on the importance of providing low and middle income countries, as well as small island developing states, with equitable access to safe, quality-assured, and affordable vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other medical countermeasures. 

G20 Health Ministers call for building resilient, equitable access to affordable medicines in developing world

Stockholm [Sweden]: Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman have been jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. "The 2023 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19," The Nobel Prize posted on X on Monday.
"The findings by 2023 #NobelPrize laureates Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman led to the approval of two highly successful mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020. The vaccines have saved millions of lives and prevented severe disease in many more," the post added. The Nobel Assembly said the discoveries by the two Nobel Laureates were critical for developing effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 during the pandemic that began in early 2020. “Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system, the laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” it said.   It said the laureates discovered that base-modified mRNA can be used “to block activation of inflammatory reactions and increase protein production when mRNA is delivered to cells”. The Nobel Assembly said Karikó and Weissman published their results in a seminal 2005 paper that received little attention at the time but laid the foundation for critically important developments that have served humanity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—ANI

Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman have been jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA

Covid vaccine pioneers Katalin Kariko, Drew Weissman awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine

New Delhi (The Hawk): Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare today chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in India and preparedness of public health system for surveillance, containment and management of COVID-19 in view of the recent spike in cases of COVID-19 in some states. He was joined by Prof. S P Singh Baghel and Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare. Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was also present. State Ministers who joined the meeting include Shri Alo Libang, Chief Minister and Minister of Health (Aruachal Pradesh); Shri Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister (Uttar Pradesh); Shri Dhan Singh Rawat, Health Minister (Uttarakhand) who was present physically; Shri Dinesh Gundu Rao, Health Minister (Karnataka); Shri Anil Vij, Health Minister (Haryana); Smt. Veena George, Health Minister (Kerala), Shri Vishwajit Pratapsingh Rane, Health Minister (Goa); Shri Keshab Mahanta, Health Minister (Assam), Shri Banna Gupta, Health Minister (Jharkhand); Dr Balbir Singh, Health Minister (Punjab); Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj, Health Minister (Delhi); Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Health Minister (Himachal Pradesh); Prof. Dr. Tanajirao Sawant, Health Minister (Maharashtra); Shri Damodar Rajanarasimha, Health Minister (Telangana); Dr Sapam Ranjan, Health Minister (Manipur); Shri Niranjan Pujari, Health Minister (Odisha); Shri Rangaswamy, Administrator (Puducherry); among others. Underlining the challenge posed by the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in some countries across the world such as China, Brazil, Germany and United States, Union Health Minister noted the importance of being prepared and remaining alert against new and emerging strains of COVID-19, especially in view of the upcoming festive season. Underlying and reiterating that COVID is not over yet, he requested states to monitor emerging evidences of COVID-19 cases, symptoms and case severity to plan appropriate public health response. Dr Mandaviya stressed the need for collective efforts between the Centre and the States to deal with the emerging situation in the spirit of “Whole of Government” approach. He directed for strengthening the surveillance system for whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network to ensure timely detection of newer variants, circulating in the country. This would facilitate undertaking of appropriate public health measures in a timely manner, he noted. States/UTs have been requested to ramp up testing and refer large number of samples of COVID-19 positive cases and pneumonia-like illness to INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories (IGSLs) on a daily basis, for sequencing, to track new variants, if any. The Union Health Minister urged all the states to remain alert, increase surveillance and ensure adequate stock of medicines, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, ventilators and vaccines, He asked officials to undertake mock drills every three months at both the Central and State levels to assess functionality of PSA plants, Oxygen concentrators and cylinders, ventilators, etc., and encouraged the sharing of best practices. He also urged states to create awareness on respiratory hygiene and ensure dissemination of factually correct information and counter fake news to manage infodemic and mitigate any panic. The Union Health Minister urged States/UTs to share information on cases, tests, positivity etc., in real time on the COVID portal to enable timely monitoring and prompt public health measures. He assured the states of all support from the Centre. Through a presentation, Shri Sudhansh Pant, Secretary, Union Health Ministry briefed the Union Health Minister on the global COVID19 situation and the domestic scenario. It was informed that while active COVID cases in India are significantly less compared to the global scenario, in the last two weeks there has been a steep rise in active cases from 115 on 6th Dec 2023 to 614 on date. It was also noted that 92.8% of the cases are home isolated, indicating mild illness. No increase in hospitalization rates have been witnessed due to COVID-19, the cases that are hospitalized are due to other medical conditions – COVID-19 is an incidental finding. A rise in daily positivity rate has been observed in a few states like Kerala, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Karnataka. On the new JN.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2, it was informed that the variant is currently under intense scientific scrutiny, but not a cause of immediate concern. No clustering of cases has been observed in India due to JN.1 and all the cases were found to be mild and all of them have recovered without any complications. Dr V K Paul reiterated the need for a whole-of-government approach to tackle with the challenge posed by the surge in COVID cases and the emergence of a new variant. He informed that the scientific community in India is closely investigating the new variant but stressed on the need for states to ramp up testing and strengthen their surveillance systems. Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and DG, ICMR informed that ICMR is currently working on genome sequencing of the new JN.1 variant. He urged states to monitor the COVID-19 scenario and increase RT-PCR tests but noted that there is no cause for panic. State Health Ministers appreciated the support and guidance received from the Centre. They assured to increase testing and surveillance measures in view of the rising cases in some states. Smt. L S Changsan, Addl. Secretary, Union Health Ministry; senior officials from the Health Ministry, ICMR, and NCDC were present in the meeting.

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare today chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation

It Is Important To Be On Alert And Be Prepared Against New And Emerging Strains Of COVID-19 Virus: Dr Mandaviya

New York: Many hospitals across several US states have brought back the mask mandates, even as the country is seeing a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases, driven by the highly transmissible JN.1 variant, as well as flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its latest update before Christmas stated that JN.1 has become the dominant variant in the US. The proportion of JN.1 viruses over the past 2 weeks was up sharply, rising from 15-29 per cent to 39-50 per cent, the CDC said in an update on December 22. The CDC said it is also seeing an increasing share of infections caused by JN.1 in travellers, wastewater, and most world regions. This prompted local officials in several states including New York, Illinois, California, North Carolina and Massachusetts to ask staff, patients and visitors to mask up. Officials at Los Angeles County and New York City ordered all staff and visitors at healthcare facilities to mask up, according to ABC 7. The mandate applies to anyone entering New York H+H hospitals, community health centers and nursing homes, the NYC public hospital system said in statement “As we’ve seen an increase in Covid, flu and RSV, this is really to protect our patients, staff and the community,” said Christopher Miller, spokesman for NYC Health + Hospitals “What we don’t want is staffing shortages, right? When we saw the Omicron wave in 2022, the biggest issues were not only people getting sick, but that we had a lot of frontline health workers, they were out with Covid,”New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan was quoted as saying to WABC TV. Vasan noted that mask mandates had resumed at all 11 of the city’s public hospitals, 30 health centres and five long-term care facilities. Rush University medical system in Chicago said on Tuesday that it was requiring "patients, visitors and staff to wear hospital-approved masks in some areas of the campus. They include clinical waiting areas and patient registration." Mask mandates will also protect patients from other respiratory diseases, like the flu and RSV, that are on the rise this winter. JN.1, classified as a variant of interest (VOI) by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its rapid spread, is currently present in about 41 countries. It was first detected in Luxembourg in August. JN.1 is similar to its parent BA.2.86, but has an additional mutation (L455S) in the spike protein, which has immune-evasion properties. The CDC said that JN.1’s continued growth suggests that the variant is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems than other circulating variants. However, it added that “it is too early to know whether or to what extent JN.1 will cause an increase in infections or hospitalisations”. JN.1 is also becoming the dominant variant globally, causing spikes in infections, hospitalisations as well as deaths in some countries. As per the CDC, existing vaccines, tests, and treatments work against JN.1. —IANS

Many hospitals across several US states have brought back the mask mandates, even as the country is seeing a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases

Surge In Covid, Flu Cases In US Brings Back Mask Mandates In Hospitals

New Delhi: Medical expert Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) refers to the clot in blood vessels, and it occurs in very rare cases, following the use of certain types of vaccines. Acknowledging that the Covid vaccines 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 AstraZeneca, 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 'ANI 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

Medical expert Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) refers to the clot in blood vessels

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Dr Jitendra says, India committed to ensuring accessibility and affordability of vaccines for all

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Dr Jitendra says, India committed to ensuring accessibility and affordability of vaccines for all

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