INSACOG says low levels of neutralising antibodies from current vaccines are unlikely to be sufficient to neutralise Omicron, but adds that the 'risk of severe disease is still likely to be reduced'.
As Covid pandemic moves to epidemic conditions with regional hotspots, caution must be taken because any fault line in global vaccine supply can be cataclysmic.
With fears around the Omicron variant and a small surge in cases, Telangana is also aiming for 100% vaccination coverage by the end of December, state government says.
All samples from hotspots to be genome sequenced. States asked to step up surveillance at airports, but Centre objects to Maharashtra’s decision on testing all passengers.
Dr Samiran Panda says Covaxin, being a whole virion vaccine, could work better, while there are chances of Omicron escaping targeted vaccines such as those based on the mRNA platform.
New variant Omicron has put ‘spotlight’ back on the fact that there exists ‘discrimination between vaccinated and unvaccinated people’, India said at a WTO meet in Geneva.
Several cases through pandemic have shown that prolonged infection, along with a compromised immune response, leads to the emergence of immune escape mutations.
Karnataka has written to Centre seeking a ban on travellers from countries affected by omicron, while also seeking permission to administer booster doses to health workers.
The worst case scenario would be a return to growth-crippling lockdowns, which would threaten already strained supply chains and damage recovering demand.
President Joe Biden’s top medical advisor said stepped-up prevention with the emergence of the new variant will impact whether Americans are headed into a bleak or bleaker winter.
Of all academic institutions, it is at Harvard, the richest and perhaps the most powerful academic institution in the world, that Epstein’s ties appear to have flourished most.
Siddaramaiah govt’s five schemes strain finances as GST changes hit revenues; debt to jump nearly Rs 80,000 crore. State also plans to auction liquor licences & extend bar timings.
The MHA is deliberating on new recruitment rules for all CAPFs, including the CRPF, ITBP, and SSB. It wants to incorporate a 50% quota for Agniveers across the CAPFs.
If Pathaan gave both conservatives and liberals room to hide, Dhurandhar extends no such courtesy. Aditya Dhar ripped open that tent of hypocrisy and turned the knife.
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