Latest Coronavirus vaccine News and Updates
By: Christopher Noel Meyers
Tags: Vaccines, Covid 19 Crisis, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Coronavirus Vaccine News

A year after the emergence of the deadly Covid-19 virus, several biotech companies have released or are in the process of getting permissions to release their vaccines against the disease. More than 1.5 million people worldwide have died from the virus.

The first vaccine was approved by the Russian Ministry of Health. The indigenous Sputnik V, however, has not been rolled out on a large scale and many researchers and scientists question its efficacy in protecting against the virus as well as pointing out significant side-effects.

As of mid-December, 2020, 57 vaccines are in different stages of approval pending the results of clinical trials. A vaccine developed by biotech giant Pfizer in collaboration with German BioNTech SE has given approval by 16 countries for emergency use. A second vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. has also been approved for emergency use. Both of these vaccines are required to be given in two doses spaced within a few weeks.

List of Countries with Access to the Coronavirus vaccine

The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine was first approved by the UK, followed closely by Bahrain, Canada and USA. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have already begun to roll out in these countries. Switzerland has also approved the use of the two vaccines along with the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca after a rigorous two-month testing process.

The first person to be inoculated against the virus was in Britain on December 8th. The British government intends to roll-out the vaccine based on the most vulnerable groups which include older patients and front-line workers.

The Government of Malaysia has made a deal to procure the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for its citizens. The first batch of the vaccine is expected to arrive in Malaysia by February 2021. They are the first country in South-East Asia to have secured the vaccine. The government is also expected to make deals with other manufacturers to meet the demand.

Bahrain is using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine along with a Chinese government-owned pharmaceutical company, Sinopharm Group. Both vaccines have been created using different technology and it is not clear on which is more effective. Citizens of Bahrain can register to receive the vaccines.

The Canadian government has begun the roll-out of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. They are currently reviewing three other vaccines, including the Moderna vaccine. The government has made deals with six manufacturers to procure more vaccines than it requires. The excess vaccines are to be donated to other countries.

Mexico has also approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and expects to receive the first batch of a total of 34.4 million doses by the end of December.

China has planned one of the largest initial phases of vaccination with the goal of inoculating 50 million of its citizens before the Lunar New Year in January. They have approved two vaccines from Sinopharm and a third from Sinovac Biotech which are to be used for front-line medical workers and the general public. The government is to use the fourth vaccine from CanSino Biologics Inc., for the military.

Coronavirus Vaccine News and Updates for India

According to the health minister, Harsh Vardhan, India is at the cusp of approving its own vaccines. The number of at-risk people that need to be vaccinated immediately adds up to 30 crores. Indian companies, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, along with Pfizer are all awaiting authorization for the use of their vaccines. SII is slotted to manufacture the vaccine developed jointly by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

The GoI is baulking at the high price of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine along with its strict temperature-control needs. Other vaccine candidates being considered are the Russian Sputnik V and a Zydus Cadila vaccine candidate.

The Serum Institute of India is ready to roll out its vaccine by January of 2021 though the CEO, Adar Poonawalla, came recently under fire for controversial statements asking the GoI to protect vaccine manufacturers against lawsuits.

The vaccine will be supplied to front-line medical workers and the health ministry is currently collecting the details of all the workers in government and private hospitals around the country. The Health Ministry and Indian Council of Medical Research are expecting to vaccinate enough people to develop herd immunity for the population. Individuals can voluntarily take the vaccine depending on their overall health.

Front-line workers and people over the age of 50 will be given the first priority for the vaccine along with people younger than 50 who have the Covid-19 associated comorbidities.

Individuals who want to get inoculated will have to pre-register for the vaccine at the digital government platform, COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN). The latest electoral roll will be used to identify persons above the age of 50. Anyone who wants to self-register will have to provide photo-identification documents like Aadhar card or passport.

WHO and COVAX

An international body, known as COVAX, has been established to help global access to the vaccines. This body is led by the WHO and has secured nearly 2 billion units of the vaccine. Half of this number is intended for low to middle-income countries.

190 countries are part of this body. The first goal of COVAX is to secure vaccines for one-fifth of the total population of these countries. It has already made deals with AstraZeneca, SII, Johnson & Johnson, and the vaccine candidate from Sanofi/GSK.