If there are limited vaccine supplies Government Health ministries can increase the gap between the two doses of Covid-19 Vaccines to 6 weeks. This is the most recent guidline from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Recall that the Vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech require a booster dose 3 to 4 weeks after the first dose. But with limited vaccine supplies and a projected slower than expected rate of vaccines production the WHO has considered that countries may need more time to get supplies for the second dose even as ather individuals may still be on the process of being administered the first dose. All vaccination can not occur at the same time or within a short period. There will be cues.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the United States Center For Disease Control (CDC) has also issued a similar advisory this month on both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines. The ACIP also added that though the two mRNA Covid-19 vaccines are Bioequivalent they are not interchangeable. The ACIP also advised against co-adminsitration of the mRNA vaccines with other vaccines due to lack of data.

Several countries facing limited vaccine supplies have informed that they will delay administering the booster shot so that more people can benefit from receiving the first dose. With vaccine supplies still limited, the WHO has called for health workers and the most vulnerable groups to be prioritised.

The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation(SAGE) of the WHO beleives intervals of 21 days for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 28 days for Moderna are best upheld for maximum efficacy and safety. But after putting prevailing circumstances into consideration SAGE has also advised that in “exceptional circumstances” Health workers may stretch the interval between doses up to 42 days for both the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. SAGE also recommended that the two vaccines should only be administered in settings that can deal with a potential anaphylactic reaction.

The WHO SAGE also advised that in situations where there was a shortage of vaccines, people who had been infected with COVID-19 in the previous six months and therefore likely had immunity could opt to postpone vaccination, but stressed that it was not a recommendation to exclude individuals on that basis.

The spokesperson for the WHO SAGE, Alejandro Cravioto, however, warned in a virtual press briefing that the evidence does not go beyond the six-week cut off.

According to the experts both vaccines are very similar, though storage requirements for the Pfizer vaccine is at -70 degrees Celsius while Moderna doses can be stored at -20 C.

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The post BREAKIING : WHO OKAYS 6 WEEK DELAY FOR COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOT first appeared on CPAN WORLD.

The security risks inherent in guaranteeing universal health coverage have once again been brought to the fore as a group comprising eight Primary Healthcare workers from Oredo Local Government Area have been rescued by the Special Ant-Kidnaping squad Of the Nigeria Police Force in Edo state. The Health workers were rescued just as they were being taken to a kidnaping hideout.

The Health workers from Oredo Local Government Area of Edo state had gone to Umegbe Village to carry out a vaccination excercise and were returning back when they were abducted by armed bandits along Umegbe road by Iyekogba river of Benin City. The kidnappers had positioned themselves along the road proximate to the river in wait for unsuspecting victims. The bus conveying the health worked was intercepted by the daredevil and heavily armed kidnapers. The hostages were then forcefully led into the river where a boat was parked to convey the victims.

Unfortunately for the kidnapers a Police anticrime squad on patrol along the road spotted the victims being forced into the river. On sighting the Police the Kidnappers quickly opened fire. A gun battle ensued and as the police took defensive positions and tacticaly responded, engaging the kidnapers by the river. According to the Edo State Police spokesman Chidi Nwabuzor some of the Kidnappers escaped into the river with Bullet wounds.

During the rescue operation a suspect 32 year old Julius Apay was arrested at the scene as part of the kidnaping syndicate. The syndicate operates within the area by abducting victims by boat and transporting them to their criminal hideout pending demand for ransom. The victims are usualy ferried to an unknown destination through Ogba river in Benin. Julius Apay is to be arraigned before a court as soon as the Police complete their investigation.

As Nigeria gears towards mass vaccination against the dreaded Corona Virus the security situation in the rural communities poses a huge risk to ensuring adequate coverage of some hard to reach communities should the federal government decide to rollout vaccination excercises in these communities.

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The post KIDNAPED HEALTH WORKERS RESCUED BY NIGERIA POLICE first appeared on CPAN WORLD.

Astra Zeneca owners of the worlds largest Corona Virus Vaccine production facility located in india have confirmed that 5 people have lost their lives in a fire which gutted the place late last week.

Indian government officials also confirmed the fire which started on thursday in the city of Pune in Maharashtra state. Large smoke clouds were seen erupting from a multi-storey building in India's Serum Institute Indranil's (SII) massive headquarters complex. Government officials were reported to have sent seven fire trucks from the local fire station the site.

The government beleives the fire could have been caused by an electrical fault during construction work. Fire official Prashant Ranpise said what caused the fire was not immediately clear, but it was contained within a facility under construction to boost production capacity of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

Serum Institute Indranil's Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla confirming the incident on Twitter wrote, "We have learnt that there has unfortunately been some loss of life at the incident, We are deeply saddened and offer our deepest condolences to the family members of the departed." Pune Mayor confirmed 4 people had been evacuated from the inferno while 5 had lost their lives.

The Indian regulatory Authority had approved two vaccines in January this year-- COVISHIELD produced by the Serum Institute Indranil (on behalf of Astra Zeneca) and COVAXIN produced by local firm Bharat Biotech.

Astra Zeneca is the world largest vaccine maker but the company has said the fire will not affect production of the Corona virus vaccine brand known as COVISHIELD. The company has developed a Corona Virus Vaccine in colaboration with Oxford university and Novavax Inc and licensed production to the Serum Institute Indranil (SII). SII had been contracted to produce a billion does of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. The company hopes to increase production capacity from 1.5 billion doses to 2.5 billion doses annually by the end of this year. The new facility gutted by fire is a big part of the exoansion plan.

The company was in the process of producing and stockpiling 50 Million doses a month as from April 2021 to meet growing demand in the world oopulation as the pandemic rages on. They also have plans to increase production to 100Million doses. The AstraZeneca vaccine is already in use in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan.

Astra Zeneca officials said production of COVISHIELD will not be interupted because the company had multiple production work centers in different buildings as a production strategy and contingency plan. Though the SII company is estimating delays in launching new products and revenue losses of about $137 Million Dollars. Serum Institute is the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer by volume and has been contracted by the World Health Organization to supply and distribute 200 million doses to COVAX a consortium comprising GAVI, CEPI and WHO for distribution and inoculations to poor countries. Some Wealthy countries have already bought up 75% of the 12 billion coronavirus vaccine doses expected to be produced by companies globally this year. Consequently, Astra Zenenca's SII contract is likely to produce most of the vaccines that will be needed by developing countries.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR NIGERIA?

Many low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, are depending on SII delivering the AstraZeneca vaccine. India itself had already began one of the world's biggest vaccine rollouts this in January, aiming to vaccinate 300 million people by July with both COVISHILED and COVAXIN.

With production interuption expected doses in these countries could be delayed. Also since two doses of the vaccine within a space of 3 months are required an interruption of vaccine supply could truncate complete vaccination plans in countries where individuals have already received their first shots.

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The post FIRE CONSUMES WORLDS LARGEST CORONA VIRUS VACCINE PRODUCTION PLANT: first appeared on CPAN WORLD.