'Extreme low temperature required to store Pfizer's COVID vaccine big challenge for India'
New Delhi: The extremely low temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius required for storing a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer poses a big challenge for its delivery in a developing nation like India, especially in its smaller towns and rural areas where maintaining such cold chain facilities would be very difficult, AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria said on Wednesday.
Most vaccines in India need to be stored at a temperature of two to eight degrees Celsius. The lowest minimum temperature at which vaccines can be kept to maintain the cold chain in most areas in the country is minus 25 degrees Celsius, Guleria said.
He, however, said the first set of results announced by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE from the Phase 3 vaccine trial, showing a 90-per cent efficacy in preventing the coronavirus infection, is quite encouraging.
"The extremely low temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius required for the potential anti-coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer poses a big challenge for its delivery in a developing nation like India.
"Storing vaccines at such a low temperature and maintaining such cold chains in smaller towns and cities is going to be very difficult," Guleria said.
He stressed that the data released by the firms developing vaccines have to be studied and it has to be seen how long the immunity would last.
About the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Delhi, Guleria said festivities or heavily crowded marketplaces may have acted as "superspreader spots" and stressed the need to remain vigilant and follow COVID-appropriate behavior such as wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing, respiratory etiquette, and hang hygiene diligently.
Delhi recorded its sharpest single-day spike of 7,830 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, which took the national capital's infection tally to over 4.5 lakh.
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE on Monday said their vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19.
"Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine's ability to prevent COVID-19," Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said.
Asked if India was considering a tie-up with Pfizer for its COVID-19 vaccine and whether the country has the infrastructure for the specialized cold chain requirement for this vaccine, the health ministry on Tuesday said the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 is in talks with all the vaccine manufacturers, including domestic and foreign ones.
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Election results: BJP hits 84% strike rate in Maharashtra
Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has delivered a remarkable performance in the Maharashtra assembly elections, achieving an 84% strike rate as part of the Mahayuti alliance.
The other allies in the alliance, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP - Ajit Pawar faction) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, have also performed strongly, recording strike rates of 62% and 71%, respectively.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Devendra Fadnavis, and congratulated him over the performance of the party.
As of 11:58 AM, the BJP is leading in 127 constituencies, while Shiv Sena and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) are ahead in 56 and 38 seats, respectively.
