COVID-19 vaccine
Pfizer's request to OK shots for kids a relief for parents
Parents tired of worrying about classroom outbreaks and sick of telling their elementary school-age children no to sleepovers and family gatherings felt a wave of relief Thursday when Pfizer asked the U.S. government to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters ages 5 to 11.
If regulators give the go-ahead, reduced-dose kids’ shots could begin within a matter of weeks.
That could bring many families a step closer to being done with remote learning, virus scares and repeated school shutdowns and quarantines.
Also read: J&J seeks US clearance for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses
“My son asked about playing sports. ‘After you’re vaccinated.’ He asked about seeing his cousins again. ‘After you’re vaccinated.’ A lot of our plans are on hold,” said Sarah Staffiere of Waterville, Maine, whose 7-year-old has a rare immune disease that has forced the family to be extra cautious throughout the pandemic.
“When he’s vaccinated, it would give our family our lives back,” she said.
Expanding vaccine availability to roughly 28 million more U.S. children is seen as another milestone in the fight against the virus and comes amid an alarming rise in serious infections in youngsters because of the extra-contagious delta variant.
It would also push the U.S. vaccination drive further ahead of much of the rest of the world at a time when many poor countries are desperately short of vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration must decide whether the shots are safe and effective in younger children.
Also read: Am I fully vaccinated without a COVID-19 vaccine booster?
Many parents and pediatricians are clamoring for protection for youngsters under 12, the current age cutoff for COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S.
Nine-year-old Audrey Moulder, who lives in the Philadelphia suburb of Drexel Hill, is looking forward to visiting her grandmother without worrying she will give the older woman COVID-19.
“She’s excited because she thinks it’s a responsibility,” said her father, Justin Moulder. “She wants to keep her friends safe and her family safe.”
Dr. Amanda Powell, an internist and pediatrician who runs a clinic in Portland, Maine, is eager to set up worry-free play dates and plan a family trip again once her 9-year-old son is vaccinated.
“We want to be able to resume some normal activities,” she said.
But there are also plenty of parents who are wary about getting the shot themselves and are in no hurry to have their children vaccinated.
Heather Miller, a mother of four from Dexter, Maine, said she wants to wait for follow-up studies on the vaccine. “I’m not 100% against getting it eventually, but I kind of fall into the ‘not right now, wait and see’ category,” she said.
Cindy Schilling, an elementary school principal in West Virginia, which ranks dead last in the percentage of fully vaccinated residents, said it has been a rough start to the year because so many children are testing positive or quarantining at different times, making it hard for teachers and students to stay on track.
Still, she said she often hears parents say they are more concerned about the effects of the vaccine than COVID-19.
“Some parents are all for it and getting it for peace of mind,” she said, “but the majority of parents I’ve talked to will not be getting it.”
While kids are at lower risk of severe illness or death than older people, COVID-19 does sometimes kill children — at least 520 so far in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said their research shows younger children should get one-third of the dose now given to everyone else. After their second dose, the 5- to 11-year-olds developed virus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as those that teens and young adults get from regular-strength shots.
On Oct. 26, an independent expert panel that advises the FDA will publicly debate the evidence. If the FDA authorizes emergency use of the kid-size doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make a final decision, after hearing from its outside advisers.
To avoid mix-ups, Pfizer is planning to ship the lower-dose vials specially marked for use in children.
It studied the lower dose in 2,268 volunteers ages 5 to 11 and said there were no serious side effects. The study isn’t large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that sometimes occurs after the second dose of the regular-strength vaccine, mostly in young men.
Moderna has requested FDA permission to use its vaccine in 12- to 17-year-olds and also is studying its shots in elementary school children. Both Pfizer and Moderna are studying even younger children as well, down to 6-month-olds. Results are expected later in the year.
2 lakh AstraZeneca doses to reach Dhaka from Maldives Wednesday
Bangladesh will receive more than 2 lakh doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, as a gift, from the Maldives tonight.
A bilateral agreement was signed between the Maldives' Health Minister Ahmed Naseem and Rear Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan, the Bangladesh high commissioner to the archipelagic state, Wednesday.
As a token of goodwill, the Maldives has gifted Bangladesh 201,800 vaccine doses.
Covid in Bangladesh: 23 more lose lives, 703 get infected
Twenty-three more people died of Covid-19 and 703 new cases were detected in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, the country logged 23 Covid-linked deaths and 694 fresh cases.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 24,376 samples.
Read: Bangladesh calls for fair, balanced IP regime system to fight COVID
With this, the daily-case positivity rate slightly rose to 2.88 percent from Tuesday’s 2.72 percent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily-case positivity rate in the country remained below 5 per cent for the 13th consecutive day.
Read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 10 more deaths
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if the daily-case positivity rate remains at 5 per cent or below for 14 days it is considered to be safe for mass unlocking.
In Bangladesh, the daily-case positivity rate reached its peak 32.55 per cent on July 24 this year.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,635 while the caseload mounted to 15,60,155, said the DGHS.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 per cent.
The recovery rate slightly increased to 97.50 per cent with the recovery of 817 more patients during the period.
So far, 15,21,113 people have recovered from the deadly virus infections, the DGHS added.
Global Covid cases near 236 million
The overall number of global Covid cases is fast approaching 236 million even with mass inoculations underway in several countries.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total Covid case count and fatalities stand at 235,794,170 and 4,816,009, respectively, as of Wednesday morning.
The US has recorded 43,945,725 cases and 705,116 fatalities to date, according to the university data.
Read:J&J seeks US clearance for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.
Brazil has registered 21,499,074 cases so far. The country's Covid death toll has also risen to 598,829 as it has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January.
India's Covid tally rose to 33,853,048 on Tuesday, as some 18,346 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry.
Besides, as many as 263 deaths due to the pandemic since Monday morning took the country's total Covid death toll to 449,260.
Most deaths, 149, were reported from the southern state of Kerala, which continues to be the worst Covid-affected state in India.
Read:Drones start Covid vaccines delivery in Northeast, make first drop in Manipur
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh on Tuesday morning recorded 694 new Covid cases and 23 more deaths from the virus infection in 24 hours. On Monday, the country saw 18 Covid-related deaths and 794 cases.
The fresh cases were detected after 25,499 samples were tested, which brought down the daily case positivity rate to 2.72 percent from Monday’s 3.19 percent, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case positivity rate in the country remained below 5 percent for the 13th consecutive day.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if the daily-case positivity rate remains at 5 percent or below for 14 days, it is considered safe for mass unlocking.
The daily case positivity rate in Bangladesh reached its peak of 32.55 percent on July 24 this year and the country reported the lowest at 0.65 percent on March 30, 2020.
Read:Covid kills 23, infects 694 more in Bangladesh
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,614 while the caseload mounted to 15,59,452, said the DGHS.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 percent.
The recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.49 percent, with the recovery of 708 more patients during the 24-hour period.
So far, 15,20,296 people have recovered from the deadly virus infection, the DGHS said.
J&J seeks US clearance for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses
Johnson & Johnson asked the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to allow extra shots of its COVID-19 vaccine as the U.S. government moves toward expanding its booster campaign to millions more vaccinated Americans.
J&J said it filed a request with the FDA to authorize boosters for people 18 and older who previously received the company's one-shot vaccine. While the company said it submitted data on several different booster intervals, ranging from two to six months, it did not formally recommend one to regulators.
Last month, the FDA authorized booster shots of Pfizer’s vaccine for older Americans and other groups with heightened vulnerability to COVID-19. It’s part of a sweeping effort by the Biden administration to shore up protection amid the delta variant and potential waning vaccine immunity.
Read:FDA adds warning about rare reaction to J&J COVID-19 vaccine
Government advisers backed the extra Pfizer shots, but they also worried about creating confusion for tens of millions of other Americans who received the Moderna and J&J shots. U.S. officials don't recommend mixing and matching different vaccine brands.
The FDA is convening its outside panel of advisers next week to review booster data from both J&J and Moderna. It’s the first step in a review process that also includes sign-off from the leadership of both the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If both agencies give the go-ahead, Americans could begin getting J&J and Moderna boosters later this month.
J&J previously released data suggesting its vaccine remains highly effective against COVID-19 at least five months after vaccination, demonstrating 81% effectiveness against hospitalizations in the U.S.
But company research shows a booster dose at either two or six months revved up immunity even further. Data released last month showed giving a booster at two months provided 94% protection against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection. The company has not yet released clinical data on a six-month booster shot.
FDA's advisers will review studies from the company and other researchers next Friday and vote on whether to recommend boosters.
The timing of the J&J filing was unusual given that the FDA had already scheduled its meeting on the company's data. Companies normally submit their requests well in advance of meeting announcements. A J&J executive said the company has been working with FDA on the review.
Read: To launch J&J Covid shot in India, Biological E begins talks with govt lab to test vaccine
“Both J&J and FDA have a sense of urgency because it’s COVID and we want good data out there converted into action as soon as possible,” said Dr. Mathai Mammen, head of research for J&J's Janssen unit.
The vaccine from the New Brunswick, New Jersey, company was considered an important tool in fighting the pandemic because it requires only one shot. But its rollout was hurt by a series of troubles, including manufacturing problems at a Baltimore factory that forced J&J to import millions of doses from overseas.
Additionally, regulators have added warnings of several rare side effects to the shot, including a blood clot disorder and a neurological reaction called Guillain-Barré syndrome. In both cases, regulators decided the benefits of the shot still outweighed those uncommon risks.
Rival drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna have provided the vast majority of U.S. COVID-19 vaccines. More than 170 million Americans have been fully vaccinated with the companies’ two-dose shots while less than 15 million Americans got the J&J shot.
Drones start Covid vaccines delivery in Northeast, make first drop in Manipur
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday launched an initiative to facilitate COVID-19 vaccine delivery to tough and hard-to-reach terrains of the Northeast through drones.
According to The Print, the ICMR’s Drone Response and Outreach in North East (i-Drone), a delivery model to make sure that life-saving COVID vaccines reach everyone, is in line with the government’s commitment to Antyodaya’ in health – making healthcare accessible to the last citizen of the country, officials said.
This is for the first time that a “Make in India’ drone has been used in South Asia to transport COVID-19 vaccine over an aerial distance of 15 km in 12-15 mins from the Bishnupur district hospital to Loktak lake, Karang island in Manipur for administration at the PHC.
Read:India's Everest Twins Tashi and Nungshi Malik Summit the Swiss Alps- Make India proud yet again
“The actual road distance between these locations is 26 km. Today, 10 beneficiaries will receive the first dose and eight will receive the second dose at the PHC,” Mandaviya said.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Health Minister said, Under his leadership, the nation is progressing at a great pace. Today is a historic day, which showed us how technology is making life easier and bringing social change.
India is home to geographical diversities and drones can be used to deliver essentials to the last mile, he said.
“We can use drones in delivering important life-saving medicines, collecting blood samples. This technology can also be used in critical situations. This technology may prove a game-changer in addressing the challenges in health care delivery, particularly health supplies in difficult areas,” Mandaviya said.
Launching the initiative which would facilitate vaccine delivery to hard-to-reach terrains of India, the Union Health Minister said, Our immunisation programme for COVID-19 has already exceeded all expectations.
Read:Eye on China, India looks to step up engagement with Indian Ocean
“I strongly believe that this initiative will further help us achieve the highest possible immunisation coverage for COVID-19. Incorporating such drone technologies into the national programmes would help deliver other vaccines and medical supplies as quickly as possible.
Despite the effective and safe vaccine administration in the states and Union Territories, the vaccine delivery in tough and hard-to-reach terrains of India is still challenging.
The i-Drone has been designed to overcome these challenges by deploying Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV) / drones to remote areas, the health ministry said.
Currently, the drone-based delivery project has been granted permission for implementation in Manipur and Nagaland, as well as the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The ICMR conducted an initial study in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to test the capacity of drones to carry and transfer vaccines safely.
Read:Farmers' protests brew into a political crisis in India's largest state
The study was conducted in Manipur, Nagaland and Andaman and Nicobar. These studies provided promising results on the basis of which the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other regulatory authorities have granted permission to fly drones beyond the Visual Line Of Sight.
Mandaviya expressed confidence in the initiative and noted that it can be helpful in delivering not only vaccines but also other medical supplies. This will help in overcoming the gaps in current vaccine delivery mechanisms, he said
He thanked the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA and the Airport Authority of India for their support towards this endeavour and congratulated ICMR, health workers and all associated with this landmark initiative.
Kuet dorms to reopen on October 22
Khulna University for Science and Technology (Kuet) will reopen its dormitories from October 22 for 3rd year, final year and Masters students.
Rest of students will be allowed to stay at dormitories from November 5.
Read:DU dormitories to reopen on Oct 5
The decision was taken at the 81st (emergency) meeting of the Academic Council chaired by University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kazi Sazzad Hossain on Sunday afternoon after reviewing the instructions of the Education Ministry and University Grants Commission (UGC).
According to the meeting, classes of the 3rd, final year and Masters students will start on October 25 and classes of the 1st and 2nd year students will start on November 7.
Read:University students to be vaccinated for reopening dorms: UGC
Students who have received the first jab of the Covid-19 vaccine will be allowed to enter halls after showing the vaccine card.
DU ready to roll out its vaccination drive Monday
Dhaka University, the country’s oldest university, will launch its vaccination campaign on Monday at its medical centre, aiming to vaccinate its teachers, students and staff.
The university has already turned its Martyred Intellectual Dr Muhammad Murtaza Medical Centre into a temporary vaccination centre.
Officials said the campaign will be inaugurated at 9:30am and run till October 17 with Sinopharm vaccine jabs.
The vaccine seekers must bring their national identity cards (NIDs) or DU IDs to complete the on-the-spot registration.
The drive for the second dose was scheduled to begin on November 1.
Those who have already registered to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at centres under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), such as Dhaka Medical College Hospital, BSMMU, and Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, may take the vaccine at the DU if they are yet to be vaccinated with any of the doses.
Read: Hasina’s birthday celebrated amid mass vaccination campaign
Global Covid cases near 235 million
The overall number of global Covid cases is fast approaching 235 million amid the ongoing mass inoculation in different countries.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count and fatalities mounted to 234,577,843 and 4,796,489, respectively, on Sunday morning.
The US has recorded 43,658,910 cases to date and more than 700,959 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Read: US hits 700,000 COVID deaths just as cases begin to fall
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 700,000 late Friday — a number greater than the population of Boston. The last 100,000 deaths occurred during a time when vaccines — which overwhelmingly prevent deaths, hospitalizations and serious illness — were available to any American over the age of 12, reports AP.
The milestone is deeply frustrating to doctors, public health officials and the American public, who watched a pandemic that had been easing earlier in the summer take a dark turn. Tens of millions of Americans have refused to get vaccinated, allowing the highly contagious delta variant to tear through the country and send the death toll from 600,000 to 700,000 in 3 1/2 months.
Brazil which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 21,459,117 cases. Brazil's Covid-19 death toll has also risen to 597,723.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 33,791,061 on Saturday morning as 24,354 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, the health ministry's data showed.
Besides this, 234 related deaths have taken place during the past 24 hours, which took the total death toll to 448,573.
Read: Romanian hospital blaze kills at least 7 COVID-19 patients
Situation in Bangladesh
Twenty-four people died of Covid infections in Bangladesh and 589 more infected in 24 hours till Saturday morning.
The number of cases is the lowest since May 16, when the country saw 363 cases.On Friday, the country logged 21 Covid deaths and 847 cases.
The new cases till Saturday morning were detected after testing 17, 283 samples.
With this, the daily case positivity rate declined slightly to 3.41 percent from Friday’s 3.43 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case positivity rate in the country remained below 5 per cent for the 10th consecutive day.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if the daily-case positivity rate remains at 5 per cent or below for 14 days it is considered to be safe for mass unlocking.
The daily case positivity rate in Bangladesh reached its peak 32.55 percent on July 24 this year.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,555 while the caseload mounted to 15,57,347, said the DGHS.
Read:Covid-19: 23 more die, 860 new cases in Bangladesh
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 per cent.
The recovery rate slightly increased to 97.45 per cent with the recovery of 741 more patients during the 24-hour period.
So far, 15,17,642 people have recovered from the deadly virus infections, the DGHS added.
Dhaka to receive 7.90 lakh AstraZeneca vaccine doses Saturday
Bangladesh will receive 7.90 lakh more doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Germany on Saturday.
A cargo flight of Qatar Airlines carrying the vaccine doses will land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 5 pm on Saturday, said officials at the Health Ministry.
Read:Bangladesh receives 2.70 lakh AstraZeneca doses from Bulgaria
German Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Troster and Senior Secretary of the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Lokman Hossain Miah will be present at the airport to receive the vaccine jabs.