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India may need to spend $1.8 billion on COVID-19 vaccines in first phase, documents show

India, which has the world’s second highest caseload of coronavirus behind the United States, plans to inoculate 300 million people over the next six to eight months, likely with vaccines from AstraZeneca, Russia’s Sputnik, Zydus Cadila and India’s own Bharat Biotech.

The Indian government has not provided any estimate of the cost of its vaccine programme, though it has said all resources will be provided to protect the population.

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Global coronavirus count surpasses 74 million

As many as 41,893,773 patients — who tested positive for the novel coronavirus — have recovered from the disease worldwide, as reported by the live dashboard according to which, India continues to hold the top spot with regard to COVID-19 recoveries as it reported over 9,456,449 recoveries across the country.

The United States continues to be the worst-affected country in the world with regard to most cases and most deaths from the virus in the world. Currently, the US caseload stands at 16,914,853 and the death toll stands at 307,064.

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Vaccine ‘hesitancy’ rises among Indians as virus cases fall – survey

“It appears some of the key reasons for the hesitancy are limited information about side-effects, efficacy levels and a growing belief in parts of the population that COVID cannot affect them because of their high immunity levels,” LocalCircles said in a statement.

Many people in the survey, which had responses from nearly a third of India’s districts, said they believed “we are moving towards herd immunity”.

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Covid-19 vaccine pricing to help governments ensure minimal costs for people, says Pfizer

“Our pricing strategy is an outcome of volume, advanced commitment, equity and affordability principles. We are pricing in a way that can help governments to ensure that there is little to no out-of-pocket costs for their populations.We remain committed to engaging with the Government of India and explore opportunities to make this vaccine available for use in the country,” the statement said.

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Moderna Covid-19 vaccine all set for FDA emergency approval

If Moderna’s vaccine is approved by the FDA, it will become the second shot to be greenlighted in America. Moderna’s vaccine is based on the same technology as Pfizer’s – mRNA. The actual virus is not embedded inside these vaccines and people who get the shots can’t catch the virus from it. Instead, the vaccine contains a piece of genetic code that trains the body’s immune system to recognize the spike protein on the surface of the Covid-19 virus and helps mount an organic defence when the attack comes.

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Vaccination in Asia-Pacific expected mid or late 2021, says World Health Organisation

“The development of safe and effective vaccines is one thing. Producing them in adequate quantities and reaching everyone who needs them is another,” WHO Regional Director Dr. Takeshi Kasai told reporters in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

While some countries that have independent vaccine purchase agreements might start vaccination campaigns in the coming months, others could see vaccination begin in the middle or late 2021, said Dr. Socorro Escalante, WHO’s coordinator for essential medicines and health technologies.

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