With the UK government in the process of human challenge testing to accelerate the pace of implementation of an effective Covid-19 vaccine, the race between countries to immunize their citizens has intensified.
These are the latest developments from around the world:
$ 60 Chinese Vaccine
A city in China’s Zhejiang province will offer experimental coronavirus vaccines to its residents as China expands an emergency use program to people in non-priority groups, Reuters reported.
Shaoxing City residents between the ages of 18 and 59, who are not in priority groups, can order the vaccine online. He did not mention the vaccine, when the inoculation would begin, or how many doses would be offered.
Shaoxing residents who choose to be inoculated will be required to give reasons for wanting the vaccine in their applications and will be charged 400 yuan ($ 60) for two doses, with an additional inoculation fee of 28 yuan per dose, the city said.
Also read: What is the ‘human challenge’ that the UK authorized to accelerate the trial of the Covid-19 vaccine?
US likely to resume Oxford trial
The United States will give its go-ahead to resume the trial of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine that was halted in the country in September after the drug company admitted adverse effects in two participants. The trial in other countries, including India, the UK and Brazil, resumed after a brief hiatus. But so far it has stopped in America.
Also read: 30 million frontline workers to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in phase 1
The health card will be used in India, but it is not mandatory.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is emphasizing IT-based Covid-19 vaccine delivery, it was decided that the health card ID under the National Digital Health Mission will be used to make the vaccines available to all Indians. But the Ministry of Health has clarified that it will not be mandatory. Other digital identifications will be used in the event that people do not have a health card.
(With contributions from the agency)
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