With input from Dr Monica Vasudev

1360:  South Africa paused the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday following data from a study stating that the vaccine did not protect participants in the clinical trial from the more contagious variant first detected in the country. This has come as a major blow to the country’s fight to control the pandemic. Scientists have also stated that individuals who had been infected by the previous strains of the virus were not protected from the B.1.351 variant.

1361: China has granted approval to a second COVID-19 vaccine. This new vaccine has been developed by the private company Sinovac Biotech. It will be distributed to developing countries under China’s efforts to emerge as a global player in curbing COVID-19. In December, China had approved a vaccine that was developed by the state-owned Sinopharm Group.

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA