The global coronavirus count has mounted over 63 million, with over 43.5 million recoveries being reported. The second lockdown and Covid-19 restrictions imposed in countries like the United Kingdom (UK), Germany and Poland have caused a decline in the number of cases.
Medical experts have warned that the United States might witness a major surge in covid-19 cases after the Thanksgiving holiday. Speaking to CNN, American Physician Anthony Fauci, told that this surge might happen in two or three weeks.
Private and government organizations are speeding towards developing a full-proof vaccine to combat Covid-19 with minimum or no side effects.
The UK to become the first country to approve Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE vaccine. The government had said that it would move on with any promising vaccine candidate and British doctors have been told to be ready for the vaccine roll out possibly before Christmas.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday stated that vaccine distribution would require $30 billion in federal funds. He also added that New York would alone need “hundreds of millions” for the vaccine’s distribution and education work.
Here are the latest updates on the Covid-19 vaccine development:-
1. The United States top infection specialist said that there is the possibility of vaccine roll out in the country before the end of December.
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Pfizer is scheduled to submit a request for Emergency Use Authorization on December 10 followed by Moderna on December 18.
2. The UK has agreed to purchase over 350 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from seven different producers as the country plans to vaccinate as many of the population as possible.
The UK department of health said on Sunday that it had doubled its order for Moderna’s vaccine from 5 million to 7 million doses.
3. After, a 40-year-old Chennai man, who volunteered for the third phase of the Covid vaccine ‘Covishield’ trial which is conducted by the Serum Institute, has claimed ₹ 5 crores as compensation for "a serious adverse event after being administered the under-trial vaccine".
While SII is planning to file a lawsuit seeking damages worth Rs 100 crore saying that the company sympathised with the volunteer's medical condition but there was "absolutely no correlation with the vaccine trial and the medical condition of the volunteer".
4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday is scheduled to interact with three teams- Gennova Biopharma, Biological E and Dr Reddy’s involved in the development of the coronavirus vaccine.
This development comes after Modi visits Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune on Saturday to review the development and manufacturing of vaccines at Zydus Cadila, Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII).
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5. An internal memo of the New York City Fire Department has claimed that the distribution of the first vaccines available to some of New York City’s first responders could begin in a few weeks.
The memo sent to emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics and firefighters added vaccinations ‘will potentially begin in mid-late December’ pending FDA approval, according to the NBC.