India reported 43,654 fresh COVID-19 cases today, as compared to yesterday’s 29,689 daily new cases.
The country reported 640 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry. As per the Ministry, the active caseload of India is 3,99,436, and the daily positivity rate is 2.51 per cent.
41,678 recoveries were also reported in the last 24 hours. With this, the cumulative recoveries are now 3,06,63,147 with a 97.39 per cent recovery rate.
Total deaths recorded in India are 4,22,022.
The ministry also informed that 44,61,56,659 COVID vaccine doses have been administered under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive so far, and 46.09 crore COVID tests have also been conducted.
With the number of fresh cases recorded falling on a daily basis and a huge drop in the mortality rates for the time being has provided a sense of contentment among the country natives. But, the approaching third wave is at an alarming stage and still a huge chunk of the population is left unvaccinated which is raising the bars of concern. To provide a smooth and steady procedure, a subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Thursday recommended conducting a study on mixing doses of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines. Further, the expert panel also recommended mixing of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and a nasal vaccine candidate, while also recommending clinical trials for Biological E’s Covid-19 vaccine on children.
The purpose behind the study of mixing Covid-19 vaccines is to see whether a person can be given two different vaccine shots of Covishield and Covaxin to complete the inoculation course.
As per sources, the application of the interchangeability study protocol of Covishield and Covaxin was moved by Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore.
“The Phase 4 trials for mixing doses of Covaxin and Covishield will soon take place soon on healthy 300 volunteers,” they stated.
The expert group also discussed the application by Biological E for conducting phase two and three clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine on the paediatric population aged 5 to 17 years, along with the safety and immunogenicity data (after the first vaccine dose) from the ongoing phase two and three clinical trials on adult. “The expert committee has further recommended that the safety and immunogenicity data from phase 2 part of phase two and three clinical trials– on adults should be submitted to the CDSCO,” added sources.
Apart from this, the expert committee also recommended allowing Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech to carry out a study on the interchangeability of its Covaxin and an undertrial nasal vaccine candidate BBV154.
The panel has however asked Bharat Biotech to remove the word ‘interchangeability’ from its study title and submit a revised study protocol for its approval.
The expert committee was also supposed to discuss the application filed by Johnson and Johnson (J&J) that is seeking permission to conduct Phase-3 clinical trial of its single-dose Covid-19 vaccine in India. However, the company informed the panel that they are withdrawing their proposal, PTI reported.
Johnson and Johnson had sought approval for conducting Phase-3 clinical trial of its vaccine on approximately 600 participants in two age groups: Between 18 and 59 years, and those aged 60 and above. This was to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of its vaccine in healthy Indian adults.
However, a final approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is awaited.
