A third shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine produces a strong immune response, researchers said on Monday, adding there was not yet evidence that such shots were needed, especially given shortages in some countries. The Oxford University study found that a third dose of the
The head of the World Health Organization said the COVID-19 delta variant, first seen in India, is “the most transmissible of the variants identified so far,” and warned it is now spreading in at least 85 countries. At a press briefing on Friday, WHO director-general Tedros
More than 1.89 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and Union territories, the Union health ministry said on Thursday. Over two crore vaccine doses have been administered in the first 72 hours of the implementation of the new
The Delta variant, the significantly more transmissible strain of COVID-19, is expected to become a ‘dominant lineage’ if current trends continue, the WHO has warned after it was reported in 85 countries and continues to be detected in more places around the world. The COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday called upon countries in its south-east Asia region to scale up public health infrastructure, rigorously implement social measures and make efforts to accelerate vaccination to prevent another COVID-19 surge. This week, Maldives and Myanmar confirmed the transmission of coronavirus
The COVID-19 Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is becoming the dominant variant globally because of its significantly increased transmissibility, WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Friday. According to the COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update issued by the WHO on June 15, the Delta
The SARS-CoV-2 sero-positivity rate among children is high and comparable to the adult population and hence, it is unlikely that any future third wave of the prevailing COVID-19 variant would disproportionately affect children aged two years and above, according to the interim findings of an
Pregnant and postpartum women were more severely affected during the second wave of COVID-19 as compared to the first with symptomatic cases and the case fatality rate being significantly higher among this category this year, according to a study by ICMR. The Indian Council of Medical
There is a global shortage of health personnel. In 2013, that shortage was estimated to be 12.9 million. By 2030, based on pre-Covid trends, it is expected to be at least 18 million, including 5.9 million nurses. In all countries of the world, the production of
A group of public health experts, including doctors from AIIMS and members from the national taskforce on COVID-19, have said that mass, indiscriminate and incomplete vaccination can trigger emergence of mutant strains and recommended that there is no need to inoculate those who had documented
