The government has started administering Covid-19 vaccine to the floating population at Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka from tonight.
Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, director general of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), inaugurated the vaccine inoculation programme to floating people at Kamalapur Railway Station at 7:45pm, Dr Shamsul Haq, member secretary of National Covid-19 Vaccine Task Force, told The Daily Star.
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Johnson & Johnson vaccine shots were being administered to them, he said, adding that the floating population across the country will come under the vaccination programme gradually.
The vaccination programme was assisted by Dhaka South City Corporation while it was coordinated by Brac. Besides, Bidyananda Foundation and Sajida Foundation are also part of the vaccination programme.
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২ ঘণ্টা আগে|বাংলাদেশ
স্বাধীন বাংলাদেশে বঙ্গবন্ধুর সঙ্গে লতা মঙ্গেশকর
মুক্তিযুদ্ধের পরপর ১৯৭২ সালে লতা মঙ্গেশকর ভারতের একটি সাংস্কৃতিক দলের সঙ্গে বাংলাদেশে এসেছিলেন এবং সে সময় তিনি ঢাকায় বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান ও তার পরিবারের সঙ্গে দেখা করেন।
এইমাত্র|বন্যপ্রাণী
সাফারি পার্কে বাঘ-জেব্রার মৃত্যু: কোনো প্রশ্নের উত্তর নেই পরিবেশমন্ত্রীর কাছে
Vaccine
Vaccination of Qawmi madrasa students begins
Star Digital Report
Sun Feb 6, 2022 12:01 PM Last update on: Sun Feb 6, 2022 12:03 PM
Reuters file photo
The health directorate started a special drive to inoculate Qawmi madrasa students with Covid-19 vaccines today.
Students of Jamia Siddiquia Noorani Women’s Madrasa in the capital’s Mirpur area were the first to get inoculated under the special campaign.
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High ups from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) including Additional Director General Prof Meerjady Sabrina, Member Secretary of National Vaccine Deployment Taskforce at the DGHS Dr Shamsul Haque and the Dhaka district civil surgeon were present at the event among others.
“Qawmi madrasa high-ups could not provide us the exact number of students. They have said there were around 40 lakh students countrywide. We will inoculate all aged 12 and above gradually,” Dr Shamsul Haque told The Daily Star.
From November 1 last year, the DGHS started inoculation campaign for schoolchildren aged 12 and above.
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১ ঘণ্টা আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
১১ ঘণ্টা আগে|শ্রদ্ধাঞ্জলি
বিদায় গানের পাখি…
Vaccine
Omicron-specific booster may not be needed: US study
Reuters
Sat Feb 5, 2022 11:56 AM Last update on: Sat Feb 5, 2022 11:57 AM
Image: Reuters/ File
A study in monkeys pitting the current Moderna Inc Covid-19 booster against an Omicron-specific booster showed no significant differences in protection, suggesting an Omicron-specific booster may not be needed, US government researchers reported on Friday.
The study involved monkeys vaccinated with two doses of Moderna’s vaccine who were dosed nine months later with either the conventional Moderna booster or one specifically targeting the Omicron variant.
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The researchers tested various aspects of the animals’ immune responses and exposed them to the virus. They found both boosters produced “comparable and significant increases in neutralizing antibody responses” against all of the variants of concern, including Omicron, according to the study, posted on bioRxiv ahead of peer review.
Both Moderna Inc and BioNTech/Pfizer Inc have started testing Omicron-specific boosters of their vaccines in human clinical trials.
“This is very, very good news,” Daniel Douek, a vaccine researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who co-lead the study, said in a telephone interview.
“It means we don’t need to radically redesign the vaccine to make it an Omicron vaccine.”
Douek said he believes the reason is that both the original and the Omicron-specific vaccines are “cross-reactive,” meaning they can recognize lots of different variants.
The results are similar to studies testing a Moderna booster targeting the Beta variant, said Dr. John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College who was not involved in the study.
“Let’s see what the human data show,” Moore said. “Monkey data are generally pretty predictive, but you are going to need the human data.”
One key advantage of the monkey study is that researchers can boost the animals and then infect them with the virus and measure the immune response, something that could not be done in human trials, Moore said.
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১ ঘণ্টা আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
১১ ঘণ্টা আগে|শ্রদ্ধাঞ্জলি
বিদায় গানের পাখি…
Vaccine
European Investment Bank to provide €250m for Covid-19 immunisation
UNB, Dhaka
Thu Feb 3, 2022 09:40 PM Last update on: Thu Feb 3, 2022 09:49 PM
Photo: Facebook/Mahbub Hassan Saleh
European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union and the largest multilateral lender in the world, will provide €250 million to Bangladesh to support procurement of safe and effective vaccines and country-wide immunisation against Covid-19.
Vaccination efforts will also include Rohingya refugees from Myanmar currently hosted in Bangladesh.
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The financing will help Bangladesh mitigate the health effects of the coronavirus pandemic and enable the country to strengthen its healthcare system and protect its people from Covid-19 with effective vaccines, said the European Embassy in Dhaka today.
These are all key preconditions for continued sustainable economic and social growth.
This is the first operation allocated under the €425 million South Asia Public Healthcare Covid-19 programme approved by the EIB in 2021.
This programme aims to provide long-term support for Covid-19 vaccination, pandemic preparedness and health system resilience in Bangladesh, the Maldives and potentially other countries in South Asia.
EIB Vice-President Christian Kettel Thomsen, who is responsible for operations in South Asia, said the EIB is very proud to expand Team Europe support for Bangladesh, ensuring its people are protected from coronavirus with effective vaccines.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the European Union Mahbub Hassan Saleh said the EIB’s loan of €250 million to the government of Bangladesh for procuring Covid-19 vaccines is the biggest and most significant development in the 22-year long journey of the Bangladesh-EIB partnership.
EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley, said the substantial support from the EIB that is being confirmed today marks a very welcome addition to the Team Europe partnership with Bangladesh to fight the pandemic.
The operation is covered by the EU EFSD+ Comprehensive Guarantee and its Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI).
In January, Covax delivered the 1 billionth Covid-19 vaccine dose, following distribution of the life-saving vaccines to some 144 countries.
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১ ঘণ্টা আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
১১ ঘণ্টা আগে|শ্রদ্ধাঞ্জলি
বিদায় গানের পাখি…
Vaccine
Pfizer asks US to authorise Covid vaccine for children under 5
AP
Wed Feb 2, 2022 10:48 AM Last update on: Wed Feb 2, 2022 10:52 AM
A vial and syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Pfizer on Tuesday asked the US to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March.
In an extraordinary move, the Food and Drug Administration had urged Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to apply earlier than the companies had planned — and before it’s settled if the youngsters will need two shots or three.
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The nation’s 19 million children under 5 are the only group not yet eligible for vaccination against the coronavirus. Many parents have been pushing for an expansion of shots to toddlers and preschoolers, especially as the omicron variant sent record numbers of youngsters to the hospital.
“I would say the parents in my office are desperate” to get young kids vaccinated, said Dr. Dyan Hes, who runs a pediatrics practice in New York City, where vaccination rates are high. For many, “that’s the first thing they ask when they walk through the door: ‘When do you think the shot is going to come out?'”
Pfizer aims to give children as young as 6 months shots that contain one-tenth of the dose given to adults. The company said it had started submitting its data to the FDA and expects to complete the process in a few days.
An open question is how many shots those children will need. Two of the extra-low doses turned out to be strong enough for babies but not for preschoolers in early testing. Pfizer now is testing a third shot, data that’s expected in late March.
That means the FDA may consider whether to authorize two shots for now, with potentially a third shot being cleared later if the study supports it.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement that company scientists believe this age group ultimately will need three of the extra low-dose shots but that FDA action now could let parents begin the vaccination process while awaiting a final decision.
The FDA said it will convene a panel of independent researchers and physicians in mid-February to help review the Pfizer data. The agency isn’t required to follow their advice, but the input is a key step in publicly vetting vaccine safety and effectiveness.
The question of how long to wait for new vaccine data — and how much to require — is a concern for FDA regulators, who face pressure to be more proactive against a virus that has repeatedly confounded health experts.
The FDA asked Pfizer to begin submitting its application now due to omicron’s “greater toll on children,” an agency spokeswoman said, citing a peak in cases among children under 5.
“In light of these new data and the rise in illnesses and hospitalization in this youngest age group, FDA believed that it was prudent to request that Pfizer submit the data it had available,” agency spokeswoman Stephanie Caccomo said in an emailed statement.
The FDA’s ultimate decision could come within the month, but that isn’t the only hurdle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has to sign off.
The Biden administration has been trying to speed the authorization of COVID-19 shots for children, contending vaccinations are critical for opening schools and day care centers and keeping them open, and for freeing up parents from child care duties so they can go back to work.
Yet vaccination rates have been lower among children than in other age groups. As of last week, just 20% of kids ages 5 to 11 and just over half of 12- to 17-year-olds were fully vaccinated, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Nearly three-quarters of adults are fully vaccinated.
Young children are far less likely than adults to get severely ill from the coronavirus, but it can happen, and pediatric COVID-19 infections are higher than at any other point in the pandemic.
“What we’re seeing right now is still a lot of hospitalizations and unfortunately some deaths in this age group,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary of the University of Colorado, who is on the AAP’s infectious disease committee. If the FDA clears vaccinations for these youngsters, “that’s going to be really important because all of those hospitalizations and deaths essentially are preventable.”
For kids under 5, Pfizer’s study is giving participants two shots three weeks apart, followed by a third dose at least two months later. The company is testing whether the youngsters produce antibody levels similar to those known to protect teens and young adults.
In December, Pfizer announced that children under 2 looked to be protected but that the antibody response was too low in 2- to 4-year-olds. It’s not clear why, but one possibility is that the extra-low dose was a little too low for the preschoolers.
Since the preliminary results showed the shots were safe, Pfizer added a third dose to the testing in hopes of improving protection.
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found just 3 in 10 parents of children under 5 would get their youngster vaccinated as soon as shots were authorized, while about a quarter said they definitely would not. Results of the survey of 1,536 adults, conducted in mid-January, were released Tuesday.
Chicago health officials have been trying to prepare parents for months for the day the shots are available, said Dr. Nimmi Rajagopal, a family medicine physician for Cook County Health, which oversees the public hospital system. Some parents wonder how rigorously the shots will be evaluated or have other questions that she said are critical to address.
Rajagopal is excited about getting her own 2-year-old son vaccinated if FDA clears the way, so it will be safer for him to play with other children.
“I have been waiting and waiting and waiting,” she said.
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১ ঘণ্টা আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
১১ ঘণ্টা আগে|শ্রদ্ধাঞ্জলি
বিদায় গানের পাখি…
Vaccine
Moderna gets full US FDA approval for its Covid-19 vaccine
AP, Washington
Tue Feb 1, 2022 01:06 AM Last update on: Tue Feb 1, 2022 01:18 AM
AP file photo
US health regulators on Monday granted full approval to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, a shot that’s already been given to tens of millions of Americans since its emergency authorization over a year ago.
The action by the Food and Drug Administration means the agency has completed the same rigorous, time-consuming review of Moderna’s shot as dozens of other long-established vaccines.
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The decision was bolstered by real-world evidence from the more than 200 million doses administered in the US since the FDA cleared the shot in December 2020. The FDA granted full approval of Pfizer’s vaccine last August.
Public health advocates initially hoped the regulatory distinction would boost public confidence in the shots. But there was no discernable bump in vaccinations after the Pfizer approval, which was heavily promoted by President Joe Biden and other federal officials. Still, regulators said Monday they hoped the extra endorsement would encourage more people to get vaccinated.
More than 211 million Americans, or 63% of the total population, are fully vaccinated. About 86 million people have gotten a booster dose. Vaccinations peaked last spring at more than 3 million per day, and now average less than 750,000 per day. The pace of vaccinations briefly spiked following news of the omicron variant in December but has since slowed again.
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২৬ মিনিট আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
৩ ঘণ্টা আগে|বাংলাদেশ
স্বাধীন বাংলাদেশে বঙ্গবন্ধুর সঙ্গে লতা মঙ্গেশকর
Vaccine
US provides 10m more doses of Pfizer vaccine to Bangladesh
Star Digital Report
Mon Jan 31, 2022 06:54 PM Last update on: Mon Jan 31, 2022 06:57 PM
A vial and syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
The US has donated an additional 10 million doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh via COVAX, bringing the total US contribution to more than 38.6 million doses — with millions more scheduled to arrive over the coming months.
“With the latest spike in Covid-19 infections, the United States is redoubling its efforts to help Bangladesh turn the tide against this surge,” said US Chargé d’Affaires Helen LaFave in a statement today.
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These doses will help expand vaccinations for students and those awaiting their first doses, while enabling vulnerable people to receive boosters to protect themselves against the growing presence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, she said.
This delivery of Pfizer vaccines is part of the US commitment to lead the global Covid-19 response by donating a billion doses of Pfizer vaccine around the world through 2022.
In addition to vaccines, the US continues to work closely with Bangladesh to support the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign and strengthen the Bangladesh government’s response to the pandemic.
It has provided training to over 7,000 healthcare providers on the proper management and administration of vaccines.
To date, the US contributed over $121 million in Covid-related development and humanitarian assistance through USAID, the US Department of Defense, the US Department of State, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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২৬ মিনিট আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
৩ ঘণ্টা আগে|বাংলাদেশ
স্বাধীন বাংলাদেশে বঙ্গবন্ধুর সঙ্গে লতা মঙ্গেশকর
Vaccine
India says 75% of its adult population fully vaccinated against Covid
Star Digital Report
Sun Jan 30, 2022 02:50 PM Last update on: Sun Jan 30, 2022 02:53 PM
Rohit Gupta, 27 and Nandani Gupta, 42, receive their first dose of COVISHIELD, a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, at a vaccination centre in Mumbai, India, May 3, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Niharika Kulkarni
India says it has fully vaccinated 75 percent of its estimated 94 crore adult population with Covid-19 vaccines.
The country’s Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted that India has achieved the target of fully vaccinating 75% of its adult population.
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Responding to Mandaviya’s tweet, Modi termed it a “momentous feat”, our New Delhi correspondent reports.
Modi on his official Twitter handle said,”75% of all adults are fully vaccinated. Congratulations to our fellow citizens for this momentous feat.”
Later, speaking in his monthly radio broadcast, the first this year, Modi said, “India is fighting with great success with the new wave of coronavirus.”
He said it was also a matter of pride that till now about four and a half crore children have been administered Covid vaccine, which means about 60 percent of youth in the age group of 15 to 18 years have got their vaccines within three to four weeks.
“This will not only protect our youth but will also help them to continue with their studies,” Modi added.
Another good thing is that within 20 days, one crore people have taken the “precaution” (booster) dose of the vaccine as well,” the PM said, adding this shows the “trust of our countrymen in the indigenous vaccine.”
The Health Ministry said India recorded 2,34,281 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours pushing the active caseload 18,84,937.
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১১ মিনিট আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
৩ ঘণ্টা আগে|বাংলাদেশ
স্বাধীন বাংলাদেশে বঙ্গবন্ধুর সঙ্গে লতা মঙ্গেশকর
Vaccine
Covid booster dose for all above 40: Health Minister
এই খবরটি বাংলায় পড়তে…
Star Digital Report
Sun Jan 30, 2022 12:04 PM Last update on: Sun Jan 30, 2022 04:22 PM
Covid Booster Dose
Star file photo
The government has again lowered the age limit — to 40 — for booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
“From now on, people aged 40 and above will be able to get a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine,” Health Minister Zahid Maleque said at a press conference at the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons in Dhaka today.
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Besides, all children aged 12 and above will be given the vaccines, he said.
So far, 9.70 crore people have received the first dose and of them, six crore have received second dose.
“We have expanded the vaccine coverage up to ward level. But many are still not getting jabbed,” the minister said urging people to take the vaccine soon.
The minister said the Covid-19 situation is becoming grimmer in the country due to the violation of health safety guidelines.
“The real number of infections is multiple times higher than detected. If this continues, the daily death toll will rise to 60 or more,” the minister warned.
Related topic
Covid-19 Booster Dose / Coronavirus Booster Dose / Covid-19 Vaccine
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১১ মিনিট আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
৩ ঘণ্টা আগে|বাংলাদেশ
স্বাধীন বাংলাদেশে বঙ্গবন্ধুর সঙ্গে লতা মঙ্গেশকর
Vaccine
Covid-19: Bharat Biotech gets approval for phase-3 trial of intranasal booster dose
Star Digital Report
Fri Jan 28, 2022 05:00 PM Last update on: Fri Jan 28, 2022 05:04 PM
Photo: Collected
The Drugs Controller General of India today permitted its domestic pharma major Bharat Biotech for conducting human trials of its intranasal Covid-19 booster dose for those who have already been inoculated with two doses of the Covaxin injection.
The trials would be conducted at nine sites across India according to official sources, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
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Bharat Biotech is the manufacturer of India’s indigenous Covid vaccine Covaxin which is one of the mainstays of India’s Covid-19 drive, launched on January 16 last year.
India has so far administered more than 164.44 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
“The Phase III clinical trial should be conducted as per protocol titled “A Phase III randomised open-label multi-centre study to compare immunogenicity and safety of BBV154 with Covaxin,” the sources said.
Bharat Biotech had in December last sought the nod from DCGI to conduct the phase-3 study for its intranasal Covid-19 vaccine as a booster dose to participants previously vaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines –Covishield or Covaxin.
The Hyderabad-based company has said the nasal vaccine, BBV154, stimulates immune responses at the site of infection — the nose — and is very effective in blocking infection and transmission of Covid-19.
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১১ মিনিট আগে|করোনাভাইরাস
রাজধানীর ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে টিকা দেওয়া শুরু
রাজধানী ঢাকার ভাসমান জনগোষ্ঠীকে করোনা টিকা দেওয়া শুরু করেছে সরকার। রোববার রাত পৌনে ৮টার দিকে কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশনের ভাসমানদের টিকা দেওয়া হয়।
৩ ঘণ্টা আগে|বাংলাদেশ
স্বাধীন বাংলাদেশে বঙ্গবন্ধুর সঙ্গে লতা মঙ্গেশকর
Vaccine
Covid-19 Omicron shots: Pfizer begins testing in adults
AP
Tue Jan 25, 2022 10:20 PM Last update on: Tue Jan 25, 2022 10:23 PM
A vial labelled with the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine is seen in this illustration picture taken on March 19, 2021. Illustration: Reuters/ Dado Ruvic/ File photo
Pfizer is enrolling healthy adults to test a reformulated COVID-19 vaccine that matches the hugely contagious omicron variant, to see how it compares with the original shots.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday.
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COVID-19 vaccine-makers have been updating their shots to better match omicron in case global health authorities decide the change is needed.
Omicron is more likely than previous variants to cause infection even in people who’ve been vaccinated, but it’s not yet clear that a change to the vaccine recipe will be ordered. Among the issues regulators are weighing: Some of the first places to face an omicron surge already are seeing the mutant wane — and there’s no way to know if the next variant that arises will resemble omicron or be totally different.
The original vaccines still offer good protection against severe illness and death. Studies in the U.S. and elsewhere have made clear that adding a booster dose strengthens that protection and improves the chances of avoiding even a milder infection.
“We recognize the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address omicron and new variants in the future,” Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer’s vaccine research chief, said in a statement.
The new U.S. study will include up to 1,420 volunteers ages 18 to 55 to test the updated omicron-based shots for use as a booster or for primary vaccinations. Researchers will examine the tweaked vaccine’s safety and how it revs up the immune system in comparison to the original shots.
Full study results will take many months as volunteers receive multiple vaccine doses — and as researchers measure how long virus-fighting antibodies remain at high levels after an omicron-adapted dose versus the regular booster.
Pfizer’s CEO told CNBC earlier this month that the company could have some omicron-matched doses ready as early as March. But doing what the company calls “at-risk” manufacturing doesn’t mean those doses will be rolled out to the public. Pfizer and other vaccine makers also have brewed and tested experimental doses to match previous variants, changes that ultimately weren’t needed but offered valuable practice at tweaking the recipe.
For the new study, one group of about 600 volunteers who received two doses of the current Pfizer vaccine three to six months ago will receive either one or two omicron-based shots as boosters. Another 600 who have already gotten three regular doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be given a fourth dose of either the regular vaccine or the omicron-matched version.
The study also will enroll some unvaccinated volunteers who will receive three doses of the omicron-based vaccine.
Pfizer plans to produce 4 billion vaccine doses in 2022, and said Tuesday the amount isn’t expected to change if an omicron-adapted version is needed.
