USA to share 20 million more doses of Covid-19 vaccine with world, says Joe Biden
WASHINGTON: The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, will share 20 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses with other countries, taking the total number of such shots to 80 million, President Joe Biden said on Monday. “Over the next six weeks, the United States […]
Joe Biden administration backs Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver
WASHINGTON: The Joe Biden administration on Wednesday joined calls for more sharing of the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic, a shift that puts the U.S. alongside many in the developing world who want rich countries to do more to get doses to the needy. United States Trade Representative […]
Narendra Modi government, Adar Poonawalla refute reports about no Covid-19 vaccine orders
NEW DELHI: Debunking news reports that India has not placed fresh orders for Covid vaccines with the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat BioTech since March, the Union government on Monday said such reports are completely incorrect and are not based on facts. The media reports suggested that the last order placed with the […]
Revisit current Covid-19 vaccine policy, it may create disparity: Supreme Court to Centre
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to revisit its COVID-19 vaccine pricing policy, saying it would prima facie result in a detriment to the right to public health. A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said as of date, the manufacturers have suggested two different prices, a lower price which is […]
Discussions on with India for ‘expedited approval’ of Covid-19 vaccine: Pfizer
NEW DELHI: Global Pharma major Pfizer is discussing with the Indian government an expedited approval pathway to make Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available for use in the country, the company’s Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said on Monday. Earlier in April, Pfizer said that it had offered a not-for-profit price for its vaccine for the government immunisation […]
Getting aggressive calls from powerful Indians: Adar Poonawalla on Covid-19 vaccine pressure
NEW DELHI: Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Saturday spoke out about the pressures he was under over the production of COVID-19 vaccines to meet the ever-increasing demand in India as the country battles through a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. In his first comments since he was provided with […]
Covid-19 vaccine: Covishield price for states reduced by 25% to Rs 300 per dose
NEW DELHI: Serum Institute of India (SII) — the maker of the most used COVID-19 vaccine in the country — on Wednesday announced a cut in price of the jab it plans to sell to states to Rs 300 per dose from the earlier Rs 400. This follows widespread criticism of its pricing policy as […]
More than 1 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses are still available with states to be administered
NEW DELHI: The government of India has leading the fight against the COVID19 pandemic. Vaccination is a crucial pillar of the five point strategy of Government of India to fight the pandemic (including Test, Track, Treat and COVID Appropriate Behaviour). A Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination will be implemented from 1st […]
Covisheld is the most affordable Covid-19 vaccine available: Serum Institute defends vaccine pricing
NEW DELHI: Serum Institute of India (SII), which makes the most used Covid-19 vaccine in the country, on Saturday defended pricing Covishield vaccine at 1.5 times the initial rate, saying the earlier price was based on advance funding and now it has to invest in scaling up and expanding capacity to produce more shots. Serum […]
Narendra Modi government will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccine free to states
NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government’s (Government of India’s) procurement price of both the COVID-19 vaccines remains Rs 150 per dose and the Centre will continue to provide totally free to states, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Replying to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Ministry of Health said in a tweet “#Unite2FightCorona It […]
“Americans first”: US defends export ban on Covid-19 vaccine raw materials to India
WASHINGTON: Defending US’s restrictions on the export of key raw materials for the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccine that threatens to slow India’s vaccination drive, a senior State Department official has said the Biden administration’s first obligation is to take care of the requirements of the American people. When asked when the Biden administration would decide […]
Covid-19: Phase 3 vaccine registration for all adults to start from April 28 in India
NEW DELHI: Registration for vaccination against COVID-19 for all those aged above 18 will begin on the CoWIN platform and Aarogya Setu app from April 28, officials said on Thursday. The inoculation process and documents to be submitted to get the jab remains the same. The central government had announced that the vaccination for those above […]
Modi government approves Rs 4,500 crore credit to Covid-19 vaccine makers Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech to ramp up production
NEW DELHI: Looking to ramp up supplies ahead of the opening of Covid-19 vaccination to all citizens over 18 years of age, the government has approved a payment of about Rs 4,500 crore as advance to vaccine makers like Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech against future supplies, sources said. SII will supply […]
Everyone above the age of 18 to be eligible to get vaccine against Covid-19: India
NEW DELHI: In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, an important decision of allowing vaccination to everyone above the age of 18 from 1st May has been taken. PM said that the Government has been working hard for over a year to ensure that maximum numbers of Indians are able to get […]
India shifts from mass Covid-19 vaccine exporter to importer, worrying the world
After gifting and selling tens of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad, India suddenly finds itself short of shots as new infections surge in the world’s second-most populous country. India breached 200,000 daily infections for the first time on Thursday, and is trying to inoculate more of its population using domestically produced shots. Facing soaring […]
Covid-19 vaccine 3rd dose ‘likely’ needed within 12 months: Pfizer
The head of Pfizer said in an interview aired Thursday that people will “likely” need a third dose of his company’s Covid-19 vaccine within a year of being fully vaccinated. CEO Albert Bourla also said annual vaccinations against the coronavirus may well be required. “We need to see what would be the sequence, and for […]