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Provide compensation to families of those killed in heatwave: Rajasthan HC to govt
The court said there was a need to declare heatwaves and cold waves...
1st June Renewals: Moderated risk-adjusted property-catastrophe reinsurance pricing, says Howden Re
Risk-adjusted property-catastrophe rate-on-line 5% lower on...
Experts question U.S. Government’s mechanism to handle COVID-19 vaccine injury claims
Unlike the more established federal vaccine court, which decides cases of injury from most childhood vaccines and other common inoculations, the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program was created by a 2005 law specifically to deal with vaccines developed under emergency authorization. The idea was to allow pharmaceutical companies and government entities the freedom to develop and distribute vaccines to meet urgent public health needs without the threat of being overrun with expensive liability lawsuits. Under the program, drug makers can only be sued for “willful misconduct.”
UK insurer sells price comparison unit to Zoopla in $685 million deal
Under the deal, a unit of ZPG Ltd. will acquire Admiral’s Penguin Portals Group, which operates online platforms that help consumers compare the cost of services such as insurance products, mortgages, energy supplies and Internet connections. ZPG, which was bought by U.S. private-equity firm Silver Lake in 2018, will add brands including Confused.com and Rastreator.com to its existing platforms including Zoopla and Uswitch.
UK rolls out Astra/Oxford COVID vaccine after world-first approval
Crucially for countries with relatively basic health infrastructure, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine can be stored and transported under normal refrigeration, rather than supercooled to -70 degrees Celsius (-94 Fahrenheit).
India is keen to start administering the new shot next month; Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest producer of vaccines, has already made about 50 million doses. Chile is also interested.
India drug regulator meets to discuss AstraZeneca vaccine: sources
Experts at India’s drug regulator were meeting on Wednesday to consider approving an AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus vaccine for emergency use after Britain became the first country to do so, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Suspension of scheduled international passenger flights extended till Jan 31
Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July.
India has formed air bubble pacts with 24 countries including the US, the UK, the UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France. Under an air bubble pact between two countries, special international flights can be operated by their airlines between their territories.
California nurse tests Covid positive week after receiving Pfizer vaccine
Christian Ramers, an infectious disease specialist with Family Health Centers of San Diego, told the ABC News affiliate that this scenario was not unexpected.
“We know from the vaccine clinical trials that it’s going to take about 10 to 14 days for you to start to develop protection from the vaccine,” Ramers said.
“That first dose we think gives you somewhere around 50%, and you need that second dose to get up to 95%,” Ramers added.
Assessing 2020:Air, water pollution disputes kept NGT busy amid coronavirus
New Delhi, Dec 30: Apex environment adjudication body NGT handled disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues relating to air and water pollution through a smooth digital workflow despite the novel coronavirus pandemic this year resulting in a nationwide...
Labour codes to herald new wave of reforms in 2021; job creation likely to be major challenge
during the pandemic, the central government was successful in getting Parliament’s approval for three labour codes on Industrial Relations, Social Security and Occupational Health Safety & Working Conditions (OSH) this year
The Code on Wages was approved by Parliament last year and its rules have been firmed up. But the implementation of the rules for Code on Wages was held back because the government wanted to implement all four labour codes in one go
Assessing 2020:Fight against COVID-19 kept health ministry on its toes
At present, six COVID-19 vaccines are undergoing clinical trials in India.
They are: Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR; Oxford vaccine manufactured by SII under licence from AstraZeneca; ZyCOV-D being developed by Cadila Healthcare Ltd in Ahmedabad in collaboration with the Centre”s Department of Biotechnology; Sputnik V vaccine manufactured by Dr Reddy”s Lab, Hyderabad, in collaboration with Russia”s Gamaleya National Centre; one manufactured by Biological E Ltd, Hyderabad, in collaboration with MIT, US and the sixth developed by Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd in collaboration with HDT, US.
Besides, there is NVX-CoV2373, which is being developed by SII in collaboration with Novavax and its phase-3 clinical trial is under consideration with the drug regulator.
Andhra CM credits YSR Rythu Bharosa, Nivar cyclone compensation into farmers’ bank accounts
Under ‘Rytu Bharosa – PM Kisan’ scheme, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has released Rs 1,120 crores as third instalment to 51.59 lakh farmers. The first instalment was released on May 15, 2020 ahead of Khariff season under which Rs 3,713 crores were credited to 49.45 lakh farmer families, while the second instalment of Rs 2,095 crores was released on October 27, 2020 for 50.47 lakh farmer families.