PM to visit vaccine centres in 3 cities

Covid vaccine: How many Indians got jab on Day 1? Govt reveals

At least 1,65,714 healthcare beneficiaries received COVID-19 jab on Saturday across India, marking it as a historic and biggest COVID-19 vaccination drive launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. About 16,755 total vaccinators involved across India during the COVID vaccination drive. There was no post adverse event reported after the vaccination was administered to the people. "Total vaccinators involved across India were 16,755. Total beneficiaries vaccinated across India--1,65,714. COVID19 vaccination drive was successful on Day 1. No case of post-vaccination hospitalisation reported so far," said Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary of Union Health Ministry. "The Serum Institute of India (SII) produced COVISHIELD was supplied to all States and Union Territories (UT). Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN was supplied to 12 States. Total 3,351 sessions were held across the country with both the vaccines, said Health Ministry on COVID19 vaccine roll-out," he added. Watch the full video for more details.

First feeling, side-effects, doubts: Vaccinated doctors share experience

On Day 1 of India's Covid-19 vaccination, two doctors who took the shots shared their experience. Dr Atul Peters and Anil Dhar of Max hospital were given Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and SII-made Covishield jabs respectively. Both didn't experience any side-effects and said that doubts regarding the inoculants are unfounded. Dr Suranjit Chatterjee of Apollo hospital, who is set to receive a shot soon, also weighed in on the controversy regarding Covaxin and its third phase trials. Watch the full video for more.

Hyderabad-based non-profit organisation provides free education to tribal children

Once a child labour, Santosh, who is currently running his own NGO in Hyderabad, provides free primary education to the tribal children. People Helping Children was set up in 2019 and aims towards providing solution to the problems faced by the underprivileged children. Education and nutritious food are the two top priorities of the NGO. With branches in 6 states, NGO runs with the support of around 50 members and over 1000 volunteers. Founder of People Helping Children, Santosh said, "I lost my childhood, I worked as a child labourer, so I don't want anyone to lose their childhood, this is the main reason, why I started this NGO." The goal of this NGO is that every child gets primary education in the country.

Vaccines approved only after testing: G Kishan Reddy confident of efficacy

Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy inaugurated vaccination drive at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on January 16. On the rumours around the efficacy of the vaccine, G Kishan Reddy said that medicines tested in other countries are considered good but when our scientists toil and develop made in India medicines, people view it like that. He further assured that vaccines have been approved only after testing."I request people to not say such things. Medicines tested in other countries are considered good but when our scientists toil and develop made in India medicines, people view it like that. I request not to discuss things like this. Vaccines have been approved only after testing. I say this confidently that the vaccines will benefit everyone," said MoS Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy.

COVID-19 vaccination drive begins in India

The mega COVID-19 vaccination drive began in India on January 16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the drive and around 100 healthcare workers will get vaccinated at each session site on the inaugural day. Manish Kumar, a sanitation worker, became the first person to receive COVID-19 vaccine jab at AIIMS. In the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive, healthcare workers will receive the vaccine. The beneficiaries reached to their respective health centres. Two COVID vaccines have been approved in India- Pune-based SII's 'Covishield' and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin'.

COVID vaccine reaches length and breadth of country

As India is set to start the vaccination program against COVID-19 on January 16, millions of doses of Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Pune's Serum Institute of India, have reached the length and breadth of the country. Himachal Pradesh has received 93,000 shots on Thursday evening as part of the first consignment which was dispatched from SII's Pune facility. The hilly state has more than 800 active cases of COVID-19. Kerala, which is struggling to keep rising cases under control also received the first batch of the vaccine in Mallapuram. The southern state has more than 65,000 active cases of coronavirus, the highest in the country. Ladakh also got 11,500 doses of the Covishield vaccine as part of the first phase of the vaccination program. BJP MP Jamyang Namgyal and state Health Department Director Dr Phuntsog Angchuk received the vaccine at Leh airport. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the vaccination program at 10:30 AM on January 16 with 3 crore health and frontline workers being listed to get the shots in the first phase.

‘3,81,305 beneficiaries received Covid vaccine, 580 adverse events’: Health Ministry

Union Health Ministry informed that a total of 3,81,305 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated for Covid-19 and 580 adverse events following immunisation were reported in the country till 5 PM on January 18. Addressing a press briefing, Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary in the ministry of health, said 1,48,266 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 25 states and union territories till 5 pm on Monday. “A total of 3,81,305 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated (till 5 pm on Monday) till today through 7,704 sessions, as per the provisional reports,” the ministry said. Agnani said a cumulative 580 adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) and seven hospitalisations have so far been reported in the country since the nationwide Covid inoculation drive began on January 16. Watch the full video for more.

Brazil begins COVID vaccinations amid delay of ingredient imports

Lagging immunisation drive further hampered by wait on active ingredients from abroad to finish doses for distribution.

These temperature-controlled trucks set to transport COVID vaccine from Serum Institute of India

As COVID-19 vaccination drive in India is set to rollout on January 16, the responsibility to transport the Covishield vaccine from Serum Institute of India's main hub to government depots is given to Kool-ex. The task is very crucial as the vaccine needs to be maintained on a specific temperature. Kool-ex is using its trucks which are equipped to maintain the temperature at low degrees. At least 350 trucks are ready to transport the vaccines. The trucks are equipped with temperature as well as GPS tracker. The state governments are also providing security escort to the respective border. Kool-ex will also be transporting vaccines for Bharat Biotech, Zydus Cadila and Russian sputnik vaccine. The Central government recently said India will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16.

Watch: PM Modi's 2nd Covid vaccine lab visit to Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Bharat Biotech facility in Telangana's Hyderabad on November 28. He arrived in the city after a tour of Zydus' facility in Gujarat's Ahmedabad earlier in the day. PM Modi is on a 3-city tour to take stock of Covid vaccine development in the country. He tweeted about his Bharat Biotech tour, hailing scientists for the progress in the trials so far. He added that the Bharat Biotech team is working with Indian Council of Medical Research for speedy progress. PM's next stop is the Serum Institute of India in Maharashtra's Pune. Watch the full video for more.

Watch: PM Modi reviews development of Covid vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his three-city visit to review coronavirus vaccine development work by going to pharma major Zydus Cadila's manufacturing facility near Ahmedabad. Wearing a PPE kit, PM Modi reviewed the vaccine development process of Zydus Cadila’s vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D. PM Modi held discussions with the promoters and executives of the company. Zydus Cadila announced completion of phase-I clinical trial of its vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D. The company said it has commenced phase-II clinical trials from August. PM Modi is scheduled to visit vaccine maker Bharat Biotech's facility in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune today. Watch the full video for more details.

Vaccine manufacturing is lumpy, UK says

Britain's vaccine rollout is limited by a "lumpy" manufacturing process with production changes by Pfizer and a delay by AstraZeneca that could lead to brief supply disruption, Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Monday. Ciara Lee reports

Sao Paulo nurse first to get CoronaVac shot in Brazil

Monica Calazans, a 54-year-old nurse in Sao Paulo, became on Sunday the first person to be inoculated in Brazil, receiving the Chinese vaccine known as CoronaVac after Brazilian health regulator Anvisa approved emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd and Britain's AstraZeneca.

Easing of lockdown restrictions not before March, says Zahawi

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has suggested that a gradual easing oflockdown restrictions will not begin before early March. He told BBCBreakfast: “If we take the mid-February target, two weeks after that you getyour protection, pretty much, for the Pfizer/BioNTech, three weeks for theOxford/AstraZeneca, you are protected. “One of the things we don’t know yet,and the deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam is on record as saying‘look give me a couple of months and I’ll tell you’, is the impact of thevaccine on transmission rates ie on infecting people. “So there are a numberof caveats that stand in the way of us reopening the economy. “It will begradually, it will be probably through the tiered system but you’re looking atthat sort of period, two to three weeks after the middle of February, afterwe’ve protected the top four cohorts.”

Nepal: People cheers after approval of Covishield vaccine manufactured in India

After Nepal government approved emergency use of Covishield vaccine, people are hoping the pandemic will falter and human lives would be back on track. Nepal's Department of Drug Administration on Friday issued a release giving information on approving Covishield developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, which will be manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) in India. Drug regulating authority has also specified Serum Institute of India for importers provided with low cost in purchasing and delivery of vaccine to public. Approving the vaccine for conditional purpose, the department has also asked manufacturers or importers to get approval for registration in order to bring the vaccines. Nepal imposed nationwide and partial lockdown for most of 2020 with rise in imported cases which later took the form of local transmission spreading mostly in urban areas and major cities. The nationwide lockdown which started in March 2020 hampered daily life of people as well as businesses. They now expect to thrive with the approval of vaccine. Though the detailed inoculation plan of Nepal Government is yet to be disclosed, a total of 3 companies applied for approval to take steps forward with Serum Institute for import of vaccines. India has already made conditional emergency approval for Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute. Being one of the largest producers of vaccines at low cost, India has promised to provide vaccine to its neighbours in near future.

Work underway over 1000 kms of metro network in 27 cities: PM Modi

During his address in the foundation stone laying ceremony of Ahmedabad and Surat metro rail projects, PM Modi said that the best example to see the work difference between previous governments and current government is the expansion of metro rail network across country. He further said that there was a time when there was no modern thinking regarding metro network and no metro policy. "Best example to see difference between approaches of previous governments' work and work of current government is the expansion of metro rail network across country. Before 2014, only 225 kms of metro line became operational in 10-12 yrs. In last 6 yrs, over 450 kms of metro network became operational. Work is underway on over 1000 kms of metro network in 27 cities across the nation, as of now. There was a time when there was no modern thinking in nation, regarding metro network. There was no metro policy. As a result, there were different kinds of metro in different cities."

Ahmedabad, Surat receiving important gifts: PM Modi on metro rail projects

PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase-II and Surat Metro Rail Project on January 18. PM Modi said that both cities are receiving very important gifts as metro will further strengthen the connectivity in two major business centres of the country. "Ahmedabad and Surat are receiving very important gifts today. Metro will further strengthen the connectivity in two major business centres of the country, which are Ahmedabad and Surat. Today work of infrastructure worth Rs. 17, 000 crore is getting started. This shows that even in this time of pandemic, country's efforts towards development of new infrastructure is continuously increasing," said PM Narendra Modi.