UK Begins Multi-Variant Covid Booster Vaccine Trial

In the UK, more than 81 percent of the population is fully inoculated against Covid-19 virus.

World's first multi-variant vaccine booster against Covid-19 has begun in the city of Manchester, UK.

On Monday, a married couple, both in their 60s, became the first participants in the trial, a collaboration between the University of Manchester and a National Health Service (NHS) foundation trust in the city, reports Xinhua news agency.

Booster Shots Crucial to Beat Covid-19
Booster shots are extremely important to fight against Covid-19. The rate of infection was eleven-fold lower in people who received the booster dose. Also, the severity of the disease was nearly twenty-fold lower in those who received a booster.

‘In the UK, more than 81 percent of the population is fully inoculated against Covid-19 virus.’

Launched by US pharmaceutical company Gritstone, the drug, called GRT-R910, is claimed to boost the immune response of first-generation Covid-19 vaccines to a wide array of variants of Sars-Cov-2, which cause the disease.

The phase one trial of the vaccine is taking place at the National Institute for Health Research Manchester Clinical Research Facility at Manchester Royal Infirmary.

A spokesman for the University of Manchester said data evaluating the vaccine is expected in the first quarter of 2022, with results from the pre-clinical studies published later in the year.

Health Ministry Says India Witness 85% Decline in New COVID Cases
The Union Health Ministry said that India had witnessed a decline in daily COVID cases by up to 85 per cent since the highest daily tally was registered on May 7.

"We now know the immune response to first generation vaccines can wane, particularly in older people. Coupled with the prevalence of emerging variants, there is a clear need for continued vigilance to keep Covid-19 at bay," said Andrew Ustianowski, clinical lead for the vaccine research program.

"We think GRT-R910 as a booster vaccination will elicit strong, durable, and broad immune responses, which are likely to be critical in maintaining protection of this vulnerable elderly population who are particularly at risk of hospitalisation and death," Ustianowski added.

WHO Says India Has Capacity to Scale Up Pace of COVID-19 Vaccination
By December 2021, India has the systems in place to administer a large number of vaccine doses and achieve the mammoth feat of vaccinating all the country's people.

More than 89 percent of people aged 16 and over in the UK have had their first dose of Covid vaccine and more than 81 percent fully inoculated against the virus, the latest figures showed.

Lack of Global Standards Key Barrier to Implement COVID Certificates: Report
A new report has revealed that the lack of standards for COVID-19 certifications is an important barrier to their successful implementation around the world.

Source-IANS