According to various reports, India is likely to approve Oxford/AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine for emergency use by next week. The company’s local manufacturer submitted the additional data asked by authorities. Thus, India will be the first country to approve the British drug maker’s vaccine even when the British medicine regulator continues to verify data after trials.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine is considered to be vital for low-income countries and those having hot climates since it is cheaper, can be transported easily, and be stored in normal fridge temperatures for a long period.
Earlier this month, the last stage trials of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine took place in the UK and Brazil. According to reports, the vaccine had 62% efficacy for trial participants, who were given two full doses, but only 90% for a smaller sub-group, who were given a half.
Meanwhile, taking the total number of active Coronavirus cases to 61,468, Kerala tops the list of states in active Covid cases on Tuesday with 6,049 new cases reported on Tuesday. However, around 27 had succumbed to the virus on Tuesday taking the death toll to 2,870.
A high-level meeting chaired by Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja was convened to assess the current Covid situation and decided to follow strict surveillance at airports and seaports. It has been decided to heighten Coronavirus checks for those coming from European countries. Those coming from European countries including the UK will be identified and monitored for 14 days.
The Health Minister said that those in quarantine must strictly follow instructions and all medical officers are constantly evaluating the Covid situation. She even urged employees to strictly follow safety measures.
On the other hand, Maharashtra is close behind Kerala with 58,376 active Covid cases. According to the state’s health department, 3,106 new Covid cases were reported on Tuesday.
