Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Boost for boosters: On Corbevax as booster dose

Boost for boosters: On Corbevax as booster dose

With the approval of Corbevax as a booster dose (खुराक बढ़ाएं), India will have a heterologous shot

With the Indian drug (दवा, औषध) regulator (नियामक, शासक) greenlighting Corbevax as a booster dose for all adults above 18 years who have received two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin as part of primary vaccination (टीकाकरण), a heterologous booster shot has come a step closer to being administered (प्रशासन करना, वितरित करना) to people. Though booster shots have been administered since January 10 beginning with health-care and frontline workers (अग्रिम पंक्ति के कार्यकर्ता), and people over 60 with comorbidities (सहरुग्णता, साथ की बीमारियां), India has been using the same vaccine for both primary vaccination and booster (homologous boosting). In clinical trials, a booster dose using a vaccine that is different from the one used for primary vaccination — technically called heterologous boosting — produced higher immune responses when compared with a same vaccine for primary and booster vaccination. A trial by the Christian Medical College, Vellore, too found the same result. As expected, Bio E’s phase-3 heterologous booster vaccine trial using Corbevax in people who have received two doses of either Covaxin or Covishield did produce significantly higher immune responses. But with the control group not receiving a homologous booster shot but only a placebo (it is an inactive substance (with no therapeutic effect) is given to one group of participants in a clinical trial, while the treatment (usually a drug or vaccine being tested) is given to another group), the trial failed to bring out (निकालना, उत्पादन करना, आरंभ करना) the enhanced immune responses by using Corbevax as a heterologous booster. Any vaccine administered as a booster — immaterial (सारहीन, अप्रासंगिक, महत्वहीन) of being homologous or heterologous — months after primary vaccination will, by default (if something is happening by default, it is happening only because something else is not done; consequently, accordingly), increase the immune responses. The trial has thus only shown that Corbevax as a heterologous booster increases the immune responses but failed to show that heterologous boosting with this vaccine produces superior immune responses than homologous boosting with Covishield or Covaxin. It is all the more (और तो और, बहुत अधिक) surprising that the booster trial used a placebo for the control arm (नियंत्रण भुजा, नियंत्रण समूह) as even the phase-3 clinical trial to study the immunogenicity (प्रतिरक्षाजनकता) of Corbevax for primary vaccination used the comparator vaccine Covishield for the control group.

With Corbevax (a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Indian biopharmacutical firm Biological E. Biological E’s anti-coronavirus shot, Corbevax, is a RBD protein sub-unit vaccine and is currently undergoing phase 2/3 clinical trials on adults) being approved as a heterologous booster based on a poorly designed (बनाया गया, की योजना बनाई) heterologous booster trial, the drug regulator can be expected to soon greenlight (to give the approval to proceed with) Covishield and Covaxin (India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate (COVAXIN) developed by a Hyderabad-based company (Bharat Biotech) in collaboration with the ICMR (The Indian Council of Medical Research)) as heterologous boosters based on the results of the CMC Vellore trial (test, pilot study, experiment (phase 1, 2,3, and or human/clinical trial)). Especially as the trial clearly demonstrated the advantages of heterologous boosting compared with using the same vaccine (a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease) for primary vaccination and boosting. While the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) (The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) was established by an order of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in 2001. As India’s apex advisory body on immunization, the NTAGI provides guidance and advice to the MoHFW on provision of vaccination and immunization services for the effective control of vaccine preventable diseases in the country. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI) fulfils a need for informing decision-making concerning the introduction of new vaccines and strengthening the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP)) is quite likely to approve Corbevax as a heterologous booster shot without much delay, it remains to be seen whether it greenlights it for all adults above 18 years. Given (दिया गया, विचार करना, ध्यान में रखना) the greater likelihood (probability, chance, prospect, possibility, likeliness, feasibility) of NTAGI approving Corbevax as a heterologous booster, the Government is not likely to side step (avoid, evade, dodge, circumvent, skirt round, find a way round, bypass, steer clear of, get out of) the expert group, as in mid-March. As booster shots have been rolled out (launch/introduce something officially) for all adults above 18 years, the Government should not hurry (hasten, push on, hurry up, move quickly) to approve Corbevax without NTAGI’s nod (indication, signal, sign (of approval)).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.booster dose (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खुराक बढ़ाएं
English Meaning - In medical terms, a booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier dose.

2.drug (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दवा, औषध
English Meaning - medicine, medication.

3.regulator (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नियामक, शासक
English Meaning - an association that supervises a particular business activity.

4.vaccination (noun)

Hindi Meaning - टीकाकरण
English Meaning - treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.

5.administer (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशासन करना, वितरित करना
English Meaning - dispense, provide, give, apply (a drug/vaccine).

6.frontline worker/staff (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अग्रिम पंक्ति के कार्यकर्ता
English Meaning - a person who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency. First/front line workers/responders typically include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, firefighters, sanitary workers & etc.

7.comorbidity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहरुग्णता, साथ की बीमारियां
English Meaning - In medicine, co-morbidity is the presence of one or more additional conditions (diseases) co-occurring/co-existing with a primary condition (disease).

8.human trial/clinical trial (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मानव परीक्षण
English Meaning - a type of research that studies new tests and treatments and evaluates their effects on human health outcomes.

9.bring out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - निकालना, उत्पादन करना, आरंभ करना
English Meaning - produce, initiate.

10.immaterial (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सारहीन, अप्रासंगिक, महत्वहीन
English Meaning - irrelevant, unimportant, inconsequential, insignificant, of no matter.

11.all the more (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - और तो और, बहुत अधिक
English Meaning - much more, even more.

12.control arm (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नियंत्रण भुजा, नियंत्रण समूह
English Meaning - control group (it receives placebo instead of a drug or vaccine being tested in a clinical trial).

13.immunogenicity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिरक्षाजनकता
English Meaning - the ability of cells/tissues to provoke an immune response in the body of a human.

14.designed (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बनाया गया, की योजना बनाई
English Meaning - planned.

15.given (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - दिया गया, विचार करना, ध्यान में रखना
English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

16.Corbevax (noun)

English Meaning - a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Indian biopharmacutical firm Biological E. Biological E’s anti-coronavirus shot, Corbevax, is a RBD protein sub-unit vaccine and is currently undergoing phase 2/3 clinical trials on adults.

17.heterologous vaccine booster (noun)

English Meaning - A heterologous vaccine booster shot involves the administration of of a different vaccine.

18.homologous vaccine booster (noun)

English Meaning - A homologous booster shot involves the administration of the same vaccine as previously administered.

19.greenlight (verb)

English Meaning - to give the approval to proceed with.

20.Oxford vaccine/Covishield (noun)

English Meaning - (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) or (AZD1222) is named Covishield in India. Serum Institute of India (SII), a biotechnology company has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University for this vaccine candidate ‘Covidshield’.

21.Covaxin (noun)

English Meaning - India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate (COVAXIN) developed by a Hyderabad-based company (Bharat Biotech) in collaboration with the ICMR (The Indian Council of Medical Research).

22.vaccine (noun)

English Meaning - a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease.

23.trial (noun)

English Meaning - test, pilot study, experiment (phase 1, 2,3, and or human/clinical trial).

24.phase-3 trial (noun)

English Meaning - In phase 3 trial, the vaccine is given to thousands of people to confirm its safety - including rare side effects - and effectiveness. These trials involve a control group which is given a placebo.

25.phase 2 trial (noun)

English Meaning - In phase 2 trial, the vaccine is given to hundreds of people so scientists can learn more about its safety and correct dosage.

26.placebo (noun)

English Meaning - it is an inactive substance (with no therapeutic effect) is given to one group of participants in a clinical trial, while the treatment (usually a drug or vaccine being tested) is given to another group.

27.by default (phrase)

English Meaning - if something is happening by default, it is happening only because something else is not done; consequently, accordingly.

28.National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) (noun)

English Meaning - The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) was established by an order of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in 2001. As India’s apex advisory body on immunization, the NTAGI provides guidance and advice to the MoHFW on provision of vaccination and immunization services for the effective control of vaccine preventable diseases in the country. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI) fulfils a need for informing decision-making concerning the introduction of new vaccines and strengthening the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

29.likelihood (noun)

English Meaning - probability, chance, prospect, possibility, likeliness, feasibility.

30.side step (verb)

English Meaning - avoid, evade, dodge, circumvent, skirt round, find a way round, bypass, steer clear of, get out of.

31.roll out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - launch/introduce something officially.

32.hurry (verb)

English Meaning - hasten, push on, hurry up, move quickly.

33.nod (noun)

English Meaning - indication, signal, sign (of approval).