Articles for Variant Vaccines

New Covid booster shots to be approved in just TWO DAYS, sources suggest - but only 17% of Americans got the last one
1 year, 3 months ago

New Covid booster shots to be approved in just TWO DAYS, sources suggest - but only 17% of Americans got the last one

Daily Mail  

Updated Covid booster shots designed to target new variants could be approved in just two days time, reports suggest — and be available to Americans from next week. A member of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee, Dr Paul Offit, said last year that healthy young people do not need an updated booster vaccine. The head of Moderna, Stephane Bancel, also …

Vaccines Early Covid Cdc Americans Fda Vaccine
New Covid vaccines are on the way as 'Eris' variant rises
1 year, 4 months ago

New Covid vaccines are on the way as 'Eris' variant rises

Firstpost  

Some public health experts hope that Americans will welcome the new shot as they would a flu jab. But demand for the vaccine has dropped sharply since 2021 when it first became available and more than 240 million people in the U.S., or 73% of the population, received at least one shot A new COVID vaccine is due out next …

Health Million Cdc Last Year Vaccine Moderna Shots
DC Edit | Preparedness is the key to tackling any spike in Covid
1 year, 11 months ago

DC Edit | Preparedness is the key to tackling any spike in Covid

Deccan Chronicle  

China has blown its Covid control strategy to the extent that a global uptick of fresh cases is projected. The BF.7 is the runaway pathogen in the Chinese outbreak of 2022, and it is going to dominate the narrative from here on as it may not take much time for the strain to land anew in India, even though four …

India China Covid
Expect more worrisome variants after Omicron, scientists warn
2 years, 11 months ago

Expect more worrisome variants after Omicron, scientists warn

LA Times  

People wait in line at a COVID-19 testing site in New York City’s Times Square. “It’s the longer, persistent infections that seem to be the most likely breeding grounds for new variants,” said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. For a virus that spreads exponentially, he said, “anything that curbs transmission can have a …

Vaccines Variants Ray Delta Vaccinated New Variants Virus Variant
Explained | Is vaccination limiting Omicron’s virulence?
2 years, 11 months ago

Explained | Is vaccination limiting Omicron’s virulence?

The Hindu  

The story so far : Omicron, the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, may be pushing up COVID numbers across the world but it is also reporting a lower rate of hospitalisation and deaths compared to the previous Delta waves so far. According to WHO, the threat posed by Omicron largely depends on four key questions -- how transmissible the variant …

Health India Disease Impact Vaccines Delta Vaccine
UK: COVID disrupts public life again, but symptoms ‘less severe’
2 years, 11 months ago

UK: COVID disrupts public life again, but symptoms ‘less severe’

Al Jazeera  

People hospitalised as Omicron surges appear to be less sick than those admitted earlier in the pandemic, vaccines minister says. People being hospitalised with COVID-19 in the United Kingdom as the Omicron variant surges have “less severe” symptoms compared with those admitted earlier in the pandemic, an official said. Maggie Throup, minister for vaccines and public health, also said that …

England Johnson Covid Omicron Vaccines Minister
South Africa sees fewer hospitalisations as Omicron cases surge
3 years ago

South Africa sees fewer hospitalisations as Omicron cases surge

Al Jazeera  

Health officials say fewer coronavirus patients require hospitalisation despite a rise in the number of COVID-19 infections. COVID-19 infection rates are soaring across South Africa as a result of the highly mutated Omicron variant of the coronavirus, but fewer people have died or required hospital treatment compared with previous waves of the disease, according to health officials. The discovery of …

Africa South Africa South Omicron
UK reports another record daily COVID cases
3 years ago

UK reports another record daily COVID cases

Al Jazeera  

The British government has reported 88,376 new coronavirus cases, a second consecutive record daily tally, as the Omicron coronavirus variant fuels a worrying surge in infections across the country. “Double vaccinated players total 59 percent, 16 percent are set to get the jab, while 25 percent of players currently do not intend to get a vaccine.” 16 Dec 2021 - …

Health France England Poland Record Italy Japan
Omicron vs vaccines: Studies show variant dents immunity, lowers antibody response
3 years ago

Omicron vs vaccines: Studies show variant dents immunity, lowers antibody response

India Today  

Concern about the potency of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, has intensified after it claimed its first victim in the UK. Researchers have now found that the Omicron variant dents the immunity shield that the two doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccines provide to people. Antibody response to the Omicron variant in the samples …

Vaccines Cent Delta Vaccine Variant Omicron Pfizer
Booster dose effective against Omicron, UK study finds
3 years ago

Booster dose effective against Omicron, UK study finds

India Today  

A third booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine provides 70-75 per cent protection against symptomatic infection from the Omicron variant, the UK Health Security Agency said on Friday. In its latest technical briefing, the agency said that two doses of both the Oxford/AstraZeneca - administered in India as Covishield - and Pfizer/BioNtech vaccines provide "much lower levels" of protection against symptomatic …

Ukhsa Omicron Dose Symptomatic Infection
Covid booster dose can be taken after 9 months from 2nd jab: ICMR to Parliamentary panel
3 years ago

Covid booster dose can be taken after 9 months from 2nd jab: ICMR to Parliamentary panel

India Today  

The Indian Council of Medical Research informed a Parliamentary committee that additional Covid dose should be taken after nine months of full vaccination. The ICMR chief Balram Bhargava claimed that a booster shot can be given nine months after both doses of the Covid vaccine have been administered. A booster dose vaccination of Covid-19 naïve vaccinees would achieve a protective …

India Covid Vaccine Variant Icmr Omicron Dose
Increased severity in kids, more hospitalisations: Preliminary report on Omicron from South Africa
3 years ago

Increased severity in kids, more hospitalisations: Preliminary report on Omicron from South Africa

India Today  

A clinical summary presented by a group of physicians and public health experts to the World Health Organization has pointed to a sharp rise in hospital admissions in Covid-positive kids above the age of two in South Africa. ‘PROTECT CHILDREN’ Meanwhile, the WHO office for Europe said Tuesday that children in the 5 to 14 age group now account for …

India Children Kids South Africa Vaccine Omicron
COVID: Will vaccines need adjusting to fight omicron?
3 years ago

COVID: Will vaccines need adjusting to fight omicron?

The Hindu  

Since scientists in South Africa announced the discovery last week of a COVID-19 variant now known as omicron, researchers around the world have been trying to get a handle on the type of threat it poses. South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on December 3 that only a small number of vaccinated people have been infected by the omicron …

Vaccines Need Vaccine Omicron Sahin
What's the Govt doing to tackle Omicron threat? Health Minister Mandaviya briefs Parliament | Top points
3 years ago

What's the Govt doing to tackle Omicron threat? Health Minister Mandaviya briefs Parliament | Top points

India TV News  

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday asked the opposition parties to stop playing politics over oxygen shortage during the second wave of COVID-19 infections and take note of the Centre's efforts to ramp production of the life-saving gas to meet the surge in demand. Mandaviya also hit out at the opposition over claims about deaths due to oxygen shortage …

India Centre Parliament Govt Omicron Minister Mandaviya Existing Vaccines
Large number of Indians may be protected from Omicron COVID-19 variant, says eminent virologist Shahid Jameel
3 years ago

Large number of Indians may be protected from Omicron COVID-19 variant, says eminent virologist Shahid Jameel

Firstpost  

Shahid Jameel, who is the former head of the advisory group to the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia, said people must be cautious and keep wearing masks New Delhi: A very large number of Indians are likely to remain protected from Omicron or any other variant of COVID-19 and there is no need to panic, eminent virologist Dr Shahid Jameel has …

India Indian Indians More People Vaccine Variant Omicron
Joe Biden on Omicron: Cause for concern, not panic, US not considering lockdown
3 years ago

Joe Biden on Omicron: Cause for concern, not panic, US not considering lockdown

Live Mint  

United States President Joe Biden on Monday called the new Covid-19 variant omicron a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic" and said he was not considering any widespread US lockdown. When omicron arrives, and it will, Biden said, America will “face this new threat just as we’ve faced those that have come before it.” He appealed to …

Cause Biden Burton Booster Fauci Omicron Variant Booster Shots
Boris Johnson is failing to take the omicron variant seriously
3 years ago

Boris Johnson is failing to take the omicron variant seriously

The Independent  

There is nothing to criticise in the various measures announced by the government to prepare for the impact of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. To borrow one of the prime minister’s many discarded soundbites, the aim through this pandemic has been to “flatten the sombrero” and avoid peaks. Even if omicron turns out to be no more deadly than …

Covid Nhs Plan B
Omicron is here: So keep calm and carry on with covid shots
3 years ago

Omicron is here: So keep calm and carry on with covid shots

Live Mint  

At least we’re learning. South Africa’s government didn’t sit on information about a worrying new variant of Sars-CoV-2, which the World Health Organization has dubbed Omicron. There are questions about whether the new variant may change the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody treatments, proteins that attach to a specific target in the spike protein of the virus and can be a …

Travel South Africa Vaccines South South African Delta Vaccine
Is Omicron More Dangerous than Delta, Will Vaccines Work? India’s Leading Expert on Covid-19 Answers
3 years ago

Is Omicron More Dangerous than Delta, Will Vaccines Work? India’s Leading Expert on Covid-19 Answers

News 18  

Why is the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 called Omicron? However, to ensure that the countries where these variants are first reported are not unduly stigmatised and for the ease of reference by the general public, May 2021 onwards, the World Health Organisation has started providing labels to SARS-CoV-2 variants based on Greek alphabets. Delta, at least till now, has higher …

India Vaccines Variants Countries Covid Reported Need
Omicron brings back pandemic fears
3 years ago

Omicron brings back pandemic fears

Deccan Chronicle  

The World Health Organization declared the recently discovered B.1.1.529 strain of COVID-19, first detected in South Africa on 24 November, to be a ‘variant of concern’. Fourth, this variant’s emergence appears to coincide with a sudden spurt in case numbers in South Africa; this indicates, though not proven yet, that it may be much more transmissible than the Delta variant. …

India South Africa Vaccines Virus Wave Icu Delta
Explainer: How worried should we be about the Omicron variant?
3 years ago

Explainer: How worried should we be about the Omicron variant?

India Today  

The new Omicron coronavirus variant - identified first in South Africa, but also detected in Europe and Asia - is raising concern worldwide given the number of mutations, which might help it spread or even evade antibodies from prior infection or vaccination. News of the variant prompted countries to announce new travel restrictions on Friday and sent drugmakers scrambling to …

Europe South Africa Covid Delta Variant Omicron
Omicron variant reportedly has over 30 mutations in spike protein, may bypass vaccines: AIIMS chief
3 years ago

Omicron variant reportedly has over 30 mutations in spike protein, may bypass vaccines: AIIMS chief

India Today  

The new Omicron variant of coronavirus has reportedly got over 30 mutations in the spike protein region giving it the potential to develop a immunoescape mechanism, and thus the efficacy of vaccines against it needs to be evaluated critically, AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guelria has said. "The new variant of coronavirus reportedly has got more than 30 mutations at the …

Protein Spike Variant Omicron Omicron Variant Spike Protein
Pfizer, BioNTech not sure on Covid vaccines' effectiveness on 'Omicron' variant
3 years ago

Pfizer, BioNTech not sure on Covid vaccines' effectiveness on 'Omicron' variant

India TV News  

Highlights The companies promised to develop a new vaccine against the Omicron variant in about 100 days. Pfizer and BioNTech said they expect more data on the new covid variant within the next two weeks. German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and US-based pharma major Pfizer on Saturday said they are not sure whether their coronavirus vaccines would be able to help …

Covid Vaccine Variant Omicron Pfizer Biontech
What do we know about the new COVID strain found in South Africa?
3 years ago

What do we know about the new COVID strain found in South Africa?

Al Jazeera  

The discovery of new variant with a high number of mutations raises concerns about COVID-19 transmissions, triggering travel restrictions. A new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa with a high number of mutations has raised concerns among scientists and triggered travel restrictions by a number of countries amid fears of coronavirus transmissions. South Africa Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the …

Travel Africa South Africa Cases Vaccines South Israel