‘Pneumonia vaccine may reduce impact of Covid-19’
Sydney: Pneumonia vaccines can potentially reduce the impact of viruses such as Covid-19, said researchers, adding that it has reduced illness and death in patients with pneumonia, serious lung conditions and rotavirus, a common disease which causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
The University of Melbourne-led research team, which worked with the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, said the results underline the importance of vaccines and how they can potentially reduce the impact of viruses such as Covid-19.
Published in the journal ‘Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific’, the first study looked at Fiji’s national rotavirus vaccine programme five years after it became the first independent Pacific island country to introduce the vaccine in 2012.
After taking the vaccine, morbidity and mortality due to rotavirus and all-cause diarrhoea in Fiji fell in those aged two months to 55 years. Rotavirus diarrhoea admissions at the largest hospital among children aged under five fell by 87 per cent. These reductions were most likely due to the vaccine as rotavirus diarrhoeal outbreaks remained blunted for the five years after vaccine introduction. –IANS
Phase-3 trial of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin commences in AIIMS
New Delhi: The phase-three human clinical trial of indigenously developed anti-coronavirus vaccine candidate Covaxin began at the AIIMS-Delhi on Thursday, with Dr M V Padma Srivastava, the chief of Neurosciences Centre at the institute, and three other volunteers receiving the first dose. 'Covaxin' will be given to around 15,000 volunteers at the AIIMS over the next few days, sources have said. —PTI
