Intradermal vaccine delivery, if proven effective, could make Covaxin shots cheaper since they require a lesser amount of vaccine, which also means more people can get vaccinated.
Vaccine supply chains contain some unusual links, including horseshoe crab blood, shark liver oil and an enzyme that’s one of the world’s most expensive products.
NITI Aayog member Dr V.K. Paul also warned against excessive optimism about the ongoing vaccine trials in India, and said not all candidates that go to trial are successful.
A vaccine could provide a way to end the pandemic, but with no prospect of natural herd immunity we could well be facing the threat of Covid-19 for a long time to come.
Russia's plan to start mass inoculations as soon as October could put pressure on other governments to rush ahead of regulators and skip key steps, putting people who get the shots at risk.
Twelve trial sites are testing the ICMR-Bharat Biotech-developed Covid vaccine candidate. Last month, ICMR spurred controversy by setting a 15 Aug-deadline for finishing trial.
Biocon co-founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw also questioned the launch of a vaccine prior to completion of Phase 3 trials, saying if it's acceptable to Russia, so be it.
Putin's rushed vaccine endorsement is less an affirmation of Russian scientific prowess than it is an expression of his hankering for Soviet-era international clout.
Driving an electric vehicle for months, the Hyundai IONIQ5, BMW iX and now the Kia Carens Clavis electric, has convinced me of the viability of EVs for city and mid-range commutes.
With the US-India trade deal yet to get done, rupee depreciation may be helping to mitigate India’s loss of competitiveness. The other problem is extreme despondence among overseas equity investors.
Of the total package, $649 million will be utilised for additional hardware, software, and support services, and the remaining for Major Defence Equipment (MDE).
Don’t blame misfortune. This is colossal incompetence and insensitivity. So bad, heads would have rolled even in the old PSU-era Indian Airlines and Air India.
This method, if successful, will hopefully prove cheaper and more effective.