US's FluMist can now be administered by a healthcare provider or by recipient or caregiver aged 18 or above. India's Nasovac S4 faces hurdles like cost, availability & low acceptance.
MenFive targets 5 causes of meningococcal meningitis, a bacterial infection that can kill within hours. It can cause severe brain damage and sepsis, and is fatal in 50% cases if untreated.
The Serum Institute of India & Department of Biotechnology are set to launch the country's first indigenously developed Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine against cervical cancer.
Pune-based SII has got the go-ahead from the Drugs Controller General of India to market the vaccine. Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of female cancer mortality worldwide.
Cervical cancer in India is the 2nd most frequent cancer among women between 15-44 years of age. Currently, India is fully dependent on foreign manufacturers for the vaccine.
The SII will commence Covid vaccine export under the COVAX programme from 23 November. Nepal, Tajikistan, Mozambique and Bangladesh are the 4 nations that will receive the doses.
SII's Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs is learnt to have recently communicated to Union Health Ministry that it has a manufactured stock of 24,89,15,000 Covishield doses.
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.
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