All COVID-19 vaccines are disease-modifying; they don't prevent infections: ICMR DG
ICMR DG also stated that COVID-19 precautionary dose to stem severity of infection, hospitalisation, death.
- Dec 30, 2021,
- Updated Dec 30, 2021 5:12 PM IST
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) DG Dr Balram Bhargava on Thursday stated that all COVID-19 vaccines in the world are primarily disease-modifying, they don't prevent infection.
Speaking at the routine briefing of the COVID-19 situation in the country by the Union Health Ministry, Dr Bhargava said, "All COVID vaccines, whether they are from India, Israel, US, Europe, UK or China, are primarily disease-modifying. They don't prevent infection."
He also added that the move to introduce the precautionary dose in a phased manner is primarily to mitigate the severity of infection, hospitalisation and death.
On December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that beginning in January of 2022, the government will launch precautionary doses for frontline and healthcare workers, as well as for qualifying senior citizens with comorbidities.
Post the announcement, the health ministry has released guidelines for getting the additional dose recently. In today's briefing, the ministry also added that the government will send SMS to the eligible elderly population to remind them for taking the precautionary dose that starts from January 10.
Further, highlighting the sudden surge of COVID-19 cases in the country, Dr Bhargava reiterated use of masks before and after vaccination is a must and mass gatherings should be avoided. "The treatment guidelines for the earlier and the currently circulating strains of coronavirus remain the same. Home isolation remains an important pillar," he said.
On the COVID-19 vaccination front, the ministry informed that approximately 90 per cent of the adult population in India has been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the first dose.
Meanwhile, India recorded the highest single-day rise of Omicron infections with 180 fresh cases, taking the total tally of such infections in the country to 961, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated today.
The 961 cases have been detected across 22 states and UTs so far, and 320 people have recovered or migrated.
The daily rise in COVID-19 cases crossed the 13,000-mark after around 49 days, taking the total tally to 3,48,22,040, while the active cases increased to 82,402, according to the data updated at 8 am. The number of deaths has climbed to 4,80,860 with 268 fresh fatalities, the data stated.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) DG Dr Balram Bhargava on Thursday stated that all COVID-19 vaccines in the world are primarily disease-modifying, they don't prevent infection.
Speaking at the routine briefing of the COVID-19 situation in the country by the Union Health Ministry, Dr Bhargava said, "All COVID vaccines, whether they are from India, Israel, US, Europe, UK or China, are primarily disease-modifying. They don't prevent infection."
He also added that the move to introduce the precautionary dose in a phased manner is primarily to mitigate the severity of infection, hospitalisation and death.
On December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that beginning in January of 2022, the government will launch precautionary doses for frontline and healthcare workers, as well as for qualifying senior citizens with comorbidities.
Post the announcement, the health ministry has released guidelines for getting the additional dose recently. In today's briefing, the ministry also added that the government will send SMS to the eligible elderly population to remind them for taking the precautionary dose that starts from January 10.
Further, highlighting the sudden surge of COVID-19 cases in the country, Dr Bhargava reiterated use of masks before and after vaccination is a must and mass gatherings should be avoided. "The treatment guidelines for the earlier and the currently circulating strains of coronavirus remain the same. Home isolation remains an important pillar," he said.
On the COVID-19 vaccination front, the ministry informed that approximately 90 per cent of the adult population in India has been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the first dose.
Meanwhile, India recorded the highest single-day rise of Omicron infections with 180 fresh cases, taking the total tally of such infections in the country to 961, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated today.
The 961 cases have been detected across 22 states and UTs so far, and 320 people have recovered or migrated.
The daily rise in COVID-19 cases crossed the 13,000-mark after around 49 days, taking the total tally to 3,48,22,040, while the active cases increased to 82,402, according to the data updated at 8 am. The number of deaths has climbed to 4,80,860 with 268 fresh fatalities, the data stated.