A modified coronavirus vaccine that targets the Omicron variant can be administered as a booster dose to broaden immunity, a technical advisory group set up by the World Health Organization said.
LOS ANGELES, March 22: Experts warned that the United States may see another rise in COVID-19 cases in the next few weeks as the new Omicron subvariant continues to spread across the country.
Infections of the the highly transmissible variant, known as BA.2, have been doubling each week, according to data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As of the week ending March 12, BA.2 makes up 23.1 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the country, compared to 1 percent of new cases in the week ending Feb. 5, and 7.1 percent in the week ending Feb. 26, CDC data showed.
Although the original Omicron variant still makes up the majority of COVID-19 infections in the country, its prevalence has dropped to 66.1 percent in the week ending March 12.
Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said he expects "an uptick in cases" due to BA.2, but not necessarily a massive surge like other variants have caused.
Fauci told ABC on Sunday the new strain is about 50 to 60 percent more transmissible than the first Omicron strain, adding that it could take over as the dominant strain in the United States.
However, he noted that the strain does not appear to cause more severe illness or evade immune responses from vaccination or prior infection.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy also said the variant could cause a new spike in cases, but adding that the country is in a better position now than it was in the previous two years.
Several European countries, such as Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, have reported a spike in COVID-19 cases over the last couple of weeks.
Health officials continue to stress COVID-19 vaccines and boosters remain the best ways to prevent serious illness from the virus.
According to CDC data, 76.7 percent of the total U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 65.3 percent has completed their primary series as of March 16. However, only about half of the booster-eligible population has received a booster dose.
KATHMANDU, Jan 22: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has announced to commence the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to the children between 5 to 11 age group soon.
More than 1.8 million adults between the 12 to 17 age group received the first dose and the drive to administer booster dose to those fighting against the virus on the frontline was on, said the PM in his address to the nation on Friday. Similarly, people above 60 years of age would be administered booster doses within this month.
Saving people's lives from the virus, economic revival at a speedy pace and returning socio-economic activities to normalcy have been put on government’s first priority, he said while claiming that expansion of economic activities of the country had been expedited in the past six months and there had been expected reforms in social activities.
The policy to provide concessional loans, tax exemption and other facilities to the industries producing COVID-19 vaccines and liquid oxygen has been implemented, he reminded.
There have been extensive reforms in infrastructural development in government hospitals dealing with the virus and their upgrading has continued.
Efforts to prevent and control the Omicron variant have been made more effective and there is a smooth oxygen supply with adequate stock, PM Deuba said.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21: American biotechnology company Moderna announced Monday that preliminary data suggests its COVID-19 booster shot appears to increase antibody levels against the Omicron coronavirus variant.
The currently authorized 50-microgram booster of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine mRNA-1273 increased neutralizing antibody levels against Omicron about 37-fold compared to pre-boost levels, and a 100-microgram booster dose increased neutralizing antibody levels about 83-fold, said the company in a release.
A 100-microgram booster dose was "generally safe and well tolerated," according to the company. But there was a trend toward slightly more frequent adverse reactions following the 100-microgram booster dose relative to the authorized 50-microgram booster dose, said the company.
To respond to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Moderna will continue to rapidly advance an Omicron-specific booster candidate into clinical testing in case it becomes necessary in the future, said Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna.
The Omicron variant, which is possibly more contagious than the Delta variant, had been found in at least 47 U.S. states as of Sunday, since the first case in the country was detected in California on Dec. 1.
Moderna Inc said on Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be protective against the fast-spreading Omicron variant in laboratory testing and that the current version of the vaccine would continue to be Moderna’s "first line of defense against Omicron."
At the time when the country is bracing for the possible third wave of COVID-19 as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe, Ratopati talked to the Minister for Health and Population, Birodh Khathiwada regarding the preparations being made by the government to combat the situation:
As Nepal has already detected the cases of Omicron Variant of COVID-19 and the variant is spreading rapidly in our neighbouring and other countries, what sort of preparations are being made by the government to combat the possible outbreak?
It is a fact that Nepal is currently in a more comfortable position than previous days regarding the COVID-19 management. The best possible ways to combat the pandemic is maintaining social distance, wearing masks and washing hands time and often.
We have banned air travel to and from nine countries where the Omicron variant is rapidly spreading. Besides, those travelling from these countries via transit are mandatorily being tested for COVID-19 and kept in quarantine facilities for seven days even if they test negative for the virus. We have stopped providing visas on arrivals to foreign nationals for now.
Similarly, health desks are under operation at all 16 transit points of Nepal and India. Of them, quarantine facilities have been set up at eight transit points.
Likewise, six isolation wards (1000-bed capacity) of the Nepal Army are ready to provide services in case of COVID-19 outbreak. The number of COVID-19 Laboratories, ICUs and Hospitals have been expanded all across the country. Besides, compared to earlier days, we increased our ventilators, ICUs and Oxygen capacities by 60 percent.
Also, Both the people testing positive for the Omicron variant have already recovered and tested negative.
Public health experts have claimed that it is inappropriate to begin administering booster doses at a time when Nepal is yet to inoculate COVID-19 vaccine to all the eligible population. What do you say?
I have no idea on what basis those experts made their claim. So far 53.7 percent of the total population of the country have received their first dose while 44.5 percent have been fully vaccinated.
It might take another one year to vaccinate all the eligible population. Providing booster doses doesn’t mean halting or delaying the COVID-19 vaccination drive. Both the vaccine and booster doses will be administered simultaneously.
When will the government begin administering the booster doses?
In our early days of COVID-19 vaccination drive, we had begun by inoculating the vaccine to frontline workers. In this view, the booster will also be administered firstly to the as many as 900,000 frontline workers including health workers, journalists, security personnel and sanitation workers. Afterwards, the booster doses will be administered gradually to the general public.
And, in case of initiation, the government and stakeholders are currently under discussion and a decision will be made soon.
The government has set a target to fully vaccinate the eligible population by mid-April next year. Will the government meet its target on time?
It sure will. The government had earlier set a target to provide COVID-19 vaccine to eligible groups i.e people aged above 18 years and progress is being made accordingly.
When will children aged between 12 to 18 years get their COVID-19 vaccine?
The government will now begin administering COVID-19 vaccine to children aged between 12 to 18 years in their schools. The government has already sent money to buy 10 million doses of vaccine for this group. We are expecting the consignment by late December this year or early January next year. Once the vaccine arrives in Nepal, we will begin inoculating 5 million children.
Similarly, the government will also make arrangements for vaccines for children aged below 12 years soon after the World Health Organization approves the vaccine.
The erstwhile KP Sharma Oli-led government had inaugurated the establishment of 5 to 19-bed hospitals in all the local levels. What are its progress?
The erstwhile government inaugurated the establishment of hospitals in the local level from Baluwatar without allocating budget and making required preparations. We have no map, no DPR and even no lands for the construction.
Even Though, after I assumed the office here, we are gradually making preparations. Firstly, land for construction will have to be acquired, then DPR maps are to be finalized, budget is to be mobilized, and then only tenders for the constructions can be announced.
The emergence of a new variant of COVID-19, named Omicron, has prompted considerations for distributing booster doses of anti-coronavirus vaccines in nations across the world.
Following the rise in the Omicron variant, various countries including the UK and USA, have already started providing booster dose, which is the third dose of vaccine against COVID-19, to the fully vaccinated population.
Although no case of Omicron has been recorded here in Nepal till today, the need for booster dose has become a matter of discussion for the government and the health specialists.
