In view of the evolving scientific evidence and global practices, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday revised the duration between the second COVID vaccine dose and precautionary dose from the existing 9 months to 6 months. The Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) of the NTAGI in June recommended reducing the gap between the second and precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccine. In a letter to States and Union Territories, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "In view of the evolving scientific evidence and global practices, "Standing Technical Sub Committee" (STSC) of "National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization" (NTAGI) has recommended to revise the duration between 2nd dose and precaution dose from existing 9 months or 39 weeks to 6 months or 26 weeks. This has also been endorsed by NTAGI." "It has now been decided that the precaution dose for all beneficiaries from 18-59 years will be administered after completion of 6 months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose at Private Covid Vaccination Centers (CVs)," it added. The Health Secretary said that for beneficiaries aged above 60 years and above as well as the Health Care Workers (HCWs) & Front Line Workers (FLWs), a precaution dose would be administered after completion of 6 months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose at Government CVCs, free of charge. "Corresponding changes have been made in the CoWIN system to facilitate the new dispensation. Instructions in this regard may be issued to all the concerned officials and it may also be publicized widely. I look forward to your support and leadership for extending the benefits of precaution dose to all due beneficiaries at Covid Vaccination Centers (CVCs) as well as at household level during the ongoing Har Ghar Dastak 2.0 Campaign," Bhushan wrote in the letter.   Source: ANI

Health Minister Zahid Maleque today (Monday) said the government has lowered the minimum age to 50 years and above for receiving booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine.     "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given the approval of lowering age limit to 50 years and above...meaning the people aged 50 years and above would be eligible to receive booster dose," he told a press conference at the secretariat in the capital.     On December 19, Bangladesh launched the COVID-19 booster shot campaign with Pfizer vaccine to scale up its efforts for containing the spread of the lethal virus.    The health minister said initially, elderly people aged 60 and above, people with comorbidity as well as frontliners were given the booster dose on priority basis.    "We have to expedite the COVID-19 booster dose campaign as so far nearly seven lakh people received the booster dose. Lowering the age limit will help the campaign to cover more people under booster dose," he said.    Maleque said the government set a target to administer 280 million or 28 crore vaccine doses including booster ones.    "We are receiving huge quantity of vaccines every month," he said, adding that works were underway to expedite the nationwide vaccination campaign.    He said over 50 milion or five crore people received two vaccine doses while more than eight crore people received the first dose. Source: BSS AH

India on Monday launched booster COVID-19 shots for health care and frontline workers such as doctors and police, as well as elderly people who suffer from chronic ailments like diabetes, as it battles a renewed surge in cases amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant.   With the move, India joins nations including the U.S., the U.K., Russia and the United Arab Emirates that have started administering third vaccine doses.   India's government says the booster is a "precaution" to be given to eligible people nine months after their second shot.   All citizens irrespective of income are eligible for free vaccination at government hospitals across the country. India has approved a total of eight COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use, including homegrown Covaxin; Covishield, the local name of the U.K.-developed AstraZeneca vaccine; and Russia's Sputnik V.   "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is committed to providing additional security cover to health care and frontline workers on priority," Mansukh Mandaviya, India's health minister, tweeted on Monday.     The nation began its inoculation drive in January last year and its cumulative vaccination coverage has crossed 1.51 billion doses, with over 91% of its adult population of 944 million getting at least one shot, while 67% have received double doses. Over 23.8 million teenagers of 74 million aged 15-18 have also received their first dose since vaccinations for the group started on Jan. 3, according to the latest health ministry update.   "Together, we have launched the world's largest vaccination campaign so far," Modi said in an address to the nation on Dec. 25, while announcing the introduction of "precaution" doses. "In the time to come, we have to speed it up and expand it. The efforts of all of us will strengthen the country in this fight against corona."   India is stepping up its vaccination drive in the face of an exponential rise in daily COVID cases since the start of this year following the detection of omicron in the country in December. On Monday, it logged 179,723 new cases, the highest daily count since late May, bringing its total caseload to 35.7 million, with 483,936 fatalities.   The capital city of New Delhi -- which was among the worst hit in the country during the pandemic's second wave in April-May -- imposed a full weekend curfew lasting from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, on top of a nightly curfew that's been enforced since late December.   The city of over 20 million -- which reported 22,751 new cases and 17 deaths on Sunday -- announced earlier this month that over 80% of people who had recently tested positive were infected with omicron. Source: NIKKEL ASIA

The requirement, timing and nature of COVID vaccine booster doses will be based on scientific decisions according to Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog, today. Dr Paul said, "The Union Health Minister has said in the parliament that the need, timing and nature of boosting will be based on scientific decisions and thinking that is what the government is engaged with." Asked about the severity of the emerging COVID variant, he said, "COVID always comes with mild symptoms in the initial stages. We are watching any change in the pattern of the presentation of the emerging cases very carefully." Dr Paul said that coordinated efforts are being made to ensure the availability and optimization of medical oxygen usage. "The country has ramped up oxygen production and availability. A lot of efforts have been made across the country including provisioning more than 1,500 PSA plants. Most of them are now functional. In order to improve coordination and facilitation, a comprehensive data system Oxycare has been launched. Things are being monitored regularly. We are prepared for any eventuality," he added. Meanwhile, India reported 6,317 fresh COVID-19 cases and 318 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. The country's active caseload currently stands at 78,190, the lowest in 575 days. With 6,906 new recoveries reported across the country in the last 24 hours, the total recoveries mounted to 3,42,01,966. The new fatalities pushed the COVID death count to 4,78,325. According to the Ministry, 213 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported in the country so far. Out of this, Delhi topped the list with 57 confirmed cases followed by Maharashtra (54 cases) and Telangana (24 cases). The country's active caseload currently stands at 78,190, the lowest in 575 days. With 6,906 new recoveries reported across the country in the last 24 hours, the total recoveries mounted to 3,42,01,966. The new fatalities pushed the COVID death count to 4,78,325. According to the Ministry, 213 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported in the country so far. Out of this, Delhi topped the list with 57 confirmed cases followed by Maharashtra (54 cases) and Telangana (24 cases). Source: NDTV

Bangladesh today (Sunday) launched the COVID-19 booster shot campaign with Pfizer vaccine to scale up its efforts for containing the spread of the lethal virus.    Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque formally inaugurated the campaign at a function at Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons  (BCPS) in the capital, an official release said.     Health Minister Zahid Maleque, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Law Minister Anisul Huq, Fisheries Minister SM Rezaul Karim, Director General of  Directorate General Health Service Prof ABM Khurshid Alam, National Professor Shaila Khatun, a journalist, a police personnel, and chief of Anjuman Mofidul  Islam received booster jabs today.    The campaign for Covid-19 booster doses started with vaccinating Runu Veronica Costa, a senior nurse of Kurmitola General Hospital, who received  the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine in late January this year.     At the function, the health minister said, "Pfizer vaccine will be given as a booster dose....the people, who received any jabs earlier, can get Pfizer vaccine as a booster shot."    Elderly people aged 60 and above, people with comorbidity as well as frontliners will be given the booster dose on priority basis, he added.     Bangladesh has been lauded globally for successful continuation of the coronavirus vaccine drive, Maleque said adding.    Like the nationwide COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign, Bangladesh started booster dose drive compared to the many countries of the world, he added.     The health minister said Bangladesh yesterday recorded less than one percent positivity rate, which was described as a success for the country.    Updating process in the 'Surokkha app' for booster dose is underway, he said adding, "Right now fully vaccinated people will receive booster dose  showing their vaccination cards."    "The country has 4.63 crore vaccines and nine crore vaccines will arrive at the beginning of the next year meaning we will not face any scarcity of vaccines. Bangladesh set a target to vaccinate 70 percent people by April next year," the health minister said.     With first and second dose of coronavirus vaccines, nearly 11 crore people of Bangladesh have so far been inoculated, he added. Source: BSS AH

Health Minister Zahid Maleque has informed that booster doses of corona vaccine will be given from Sunday (Dec 19) under trial basis. He delivered the information while answering questions of the newsmen at a program organized on the occasion of birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Victory Day and golden jubilee of independence at Manikganj sadar upazila on Friday. The health minister said, frontline activists like physicians, nurses, government officers and employees, mass media activists and senior citizens of the country will be given the booster doses as preferential basis. He said, booster doses will be given to people aged over 60 years and severe sick patients. The campaign will begin from Sunday. Mentionable, usually two doses of coronavirus vaccine are given to prevent the infection but in some countries of the world a third dose has been given. It is called the booster dose. In Bangladesh nearly seven crore people were given the first dose of corona vaccine while nearly four and half crore people were given the second dose. Mohammad Shahidullah, chairman of National Technical Advisory Committee dealing the coronavirus recommended for giving the booster dose in the country to the people aged over 60 years. Later the Prime Minister directed to give the booster dose. The health minister said, the second wave of coronavirus transmission has come under control. We have to be alert so that no wave of coronavirus would affect the country in this winter. AH   

Lancet's COV-BOOST study, based on a UK trial, looked at the safety, immune response and side-effects of seven vaccines when used as a third booster jab after 10-11 weeks.   SEVEN Covid-19 vaccines are safe and stimulate a strong immune response when given as boosters to people who have previously received a two-dose course of either Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech, as per the first such randomised trial of boosters published in The Lancet.   So far, little data has existed on the comparative safety of Covid vaccines, and the immune responses they stimulate as a third dose. Lancet’s COV-BOOST study, based on a UK trial, looked at the safety, immune response and side-effects of seven vaccines when used as a third booster jab after 10-11 weeks.   The seven vaccines that were given as the third dose were AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Novavax, Janssen, Moderna, Valneva and Curevac. “The side effect data show all seven vaccines are safe to use as 3rd doses, with acceptable levels of inflammatory side effects like injection site pain, muscle soreness, fatigue,” Professor Saul Faust, trial lead and Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said. But while all the seven vaccines boosted spike protein immunogenicity after two doses of AstraZeneca, in case of Pfizer, after two doses, a booster dose of Valneva was not found to be effective.   The Serum Institute has applied to the Drug Controller General of India that Covishield be allowed to be used as booster. While AstraZeneca vaccine is administered in more than 180 countries, Pfizer is available in more than 145 countries. Two doses of the vaccines, respectively, have been shown to offer 79% and 90% protection against hospitalisation and death till six months after administration, in several studies. However, the protection is known to wane over time, driving the demand for boosters, especially for the most vulnerable, and to lessen pressure on health services and mitigate the economic impact.   Professor Faust said: “It’s really encouraging that a wide range of vaccines, using different technologies, show benefits as a third dose to either AstraZeneca or Pfizer. That gives confidence and flexibility in developing booster programmes here in the UK and globally, with other factors like supply chain and logistics also in play.”   Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the boosters on long-term protection and immunological memory. Researchers said studies were ongoing to find effectiveness of two of the vaccines in people who had the third dose much later, after seven-eight months. The randomised Phase 2 trial involved 2,878 participants in good health, recruited at 18 UK sites between June 1 and 30, 2021, in a mixture of commuity and secondary care settings. All were 30 or older, with half of them above 70. Participants received their first doses in December 2020, or January-February 2021, and second doses at least 70 days before enrolment for the study in case of Astrazeneca and 84 days in case of Oxford.   Adverse effects after seven days and levels of antibodies after 28 days were the primary ground of the study. The other outcome studied was the T-cell immune response. While in case of AstraZeneca, antibody levels rose 1.8 times to 32.3 times depending on the booster used, in case of Pfizer, the rise was 1.3 times to 11.5 times. Significant T-cell responses were reported in several combinations. At 28 days, all booster results were similar.   Among the side-effects, fatigue, headache, and injection site pain were the most common. Of the 2,878 participants, 912 experienced a total of 1,036 “adverse events”, 24 of those severe.   The authors warned that the booster data should be interpreted with caution because these relate to immunogenicity rather than protection against disease, and the relationship between antibody levels at Day 28 and long-term protection and immunological memory is unknown.   The other limitations of the study included that due to the pandemic and the need to generate data to inform policy in September 2021, the interval between the doses varied. Several studies have shown that a longer time period between the first and second doses may improve immunogenicity, including improved antibody responses.   Also, only recruiting people over 30 year olds limits the findings, as studies have shown that the vaccines tend to provoke a stronger immune response in younger people, and higher adverse effects. Participants were also mostly white.   This study was funded by the UK Vaccine Taskforce and National Institute for Health Research. It was conducted by researchers from University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, University of Southampton, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford Vaccine Group. Researchers in the study said that policymakers should establish criteria for choosing which booster vacci nes to use, based on immunological considerations, known side-effect profiles, in-country availability, and ultimately, what level of boost is sufficient in the context of national strategic disease control objectives.   At a press briefing on Thursday, Union Health Ministry officials said that on booster doses, their priority was clear. “Complete the task of vaccinating all adults with both doses – this is the focus and strategy that will give us the best dividend at this moment of time,” Dr V K Paul, Member, Health, NITI Aayog said.   Source: The Indian Express