Coronavirus pandemic live updates: At 3, Mumbai reports lowest Covid death toll since March

Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the national drug regulator is likely to hold a meeting with Bharat Biotech on Saturday to consider its Covid-19 vaccine applicant, Covaxin. The committee constituted by Central Drug Standard Control Organisation on Friday had maintained that the data provided by Bharat Biotech for its coronavirus vaccine is not sufficient for grant of emergency use approval and had asked for more information. The committee had convened a meeting to take a call on the emergency use authorisation sought by the Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech and America's Pfizer for their coronavirus vaccines candidates.

Following accounts of potential allergies to the Covid-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, scientists have outlined steps on safely receiving the second dose of the therapeutic in individuals who develop a reaction to their first dose. The research, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, summarised what is currently known about allergic reactions to vaccines like those developed against Covid-19. In the study, a team of experts led by allergists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US, proposed detailed advice so that individuals with different allergy histories can safely receive their Covid-19 vaccine. After closer review of the data related to allergic reactions, the US FDA recommended that the mRNA vaccines, based on the genetic material of the novel coronavirus, be withheld only from individuals with a history of severe allergic reactions to any component of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday stated that Covid-19 vaccine will be provided free of cost across the country. The minister made the statement while talking to media after reviewing the dry run of administering the Covid-19 vaccine at Maternity & Child Welfare (MCW) Centre in Daryaganj. Asked if Covid-19 vaccine will be provided free of cost, like in Delhi, Vardhan replied that "not just in Delhi, it will be free across the country."

As India gears up to launch world's largest immunisation drive, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday requested people to not pay heed to the rumours against the much-awaited vaccine. "I want to appeal to people to not believe in any rumors. Our prime criteria in the vaccine trial is the safety and efficacy and nothing will be compromised," Vardhan told the reporters after reviewing the dry run at a government hospital here.In Delhi, mock-drives are being conducted at three sites -- government-run Guru Teg Bahadur hospital in Shahdara, primary health centre in Daryaganj, and private Venkateshwara hospital in Dwarka.

The number of fresh Covid-19 cases was recorded below 20,000 in India on Saturday, taking the country's caseload to 1,03,05,788, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 99 lakh, according to the health ministry. A total of 19,079 people tested positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 1,49,218 in the country with 224 new fatalities, the ministry's data updated at 8am showed. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 99,06,387, pushing the national recovery rate to 96.12 per cent, while the Covid-19 case fatality rate stood at 1.45 per cent. The number of active Covid-19 cases remained below three lakh for the 12th consecutive day.