Covid 19

Centre Rejects Reports Of Expired Vaccines Being Administered As ‘Misleading’

New Delhi: “There have been some media reports alleging that expired vaccines are being administered in India under its national Covid-19 vaccination programme. This is false and misleading and based on incomplete information,” the release said.

The government highlighted that the 3-months extension of the shelf life of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin was approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) in October last year. It further said that the shelf life of Covishield, the Indian version of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, was also extended from six to nine months in February 2021.

“The shelf life of vaccines is extended by the National Regulator based on comprehensive analysis and examination of stability study data furnished by the vaccine manufacturers,” the release added.

Bharat Biotech earlier said that the approval of the shelf-life extension was based on the availability of additional stability data, which was submitted to CDSCO.

Amid the issue of vaccine wastage, the Hyderabad-based manufacturer also recently announced that the opened vials of its Covid-19 vaccine can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius for up to 28 days and are not required to be discarded immediately in a day or at the end of the immunisation session.

Covaxin has been approved for use under the 28-day multi-dose vial policy from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and the WHO Emergency Use Listing.

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2 Air India Flights Likely To Romania Today To Bring Indians Stranded In Ukraine: Report

Aleesha Sam

New Delhi: Air India is planning to operate two flights to Romanian capital Bucharest today to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to a Russian military offensive, senior government officials said.

Indian nationals who have reached the Ukraine-Romania border by road will be taken to Bucharest by officials of the Indian government so that they can be evacuated in the two Air India flights, they told news agency Press Trust of India.

The Ukrainian airspace was closed for civil aircraft operations by the country’s authorities on Thursday morning and therefore, the evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest.

The two Air India flights will depart from Bucharest on Saturday, the officials said. Air India did not respond to news agency PTI’s request for comments on the development.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Friday said it is working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary.

“At present, teams are getting in place at the following check points: Chop-Zahony Hungarian border near Uzhhorod, Porubne-Siret Romanian border near Chernivtsi,” it said.

Indian nationals, especially students, living closest to these border checkpoints are advised to depart in an organised manner in coordination with teams from the Ministry of External Affairs to actualise this option, the embassy said.

Once the above-mentioned routes are operational, the Indian nationals travelling on their own would be advised to proceed to the border check points, it noted.

The embassy advised the Indians to carry their passports, cash (preferably in US dollars), other essential items and COVID-19 vaccination certificates to the border check points.

“Print out Indian flag and paste prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling,” it said.

Around 20,000 Indians, mainly students, are currently stranded in Ukraine, the officials said.

The distance between Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the Romanian border check point is approximately 600 kilometres and it takes anywhere between eight-and-a-half to 11 hours to cover it by road.

Bucharest is located approximately 500 kilometres from the Romanian border check point and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road.

The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 kilometres and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road.

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