Most of the current COVID-19 vaccines are disease-modifying in nature: Minister

Available scientific literature shows most of the current COVID-19 vaccines are disease-modifying in nature wherein mortality and hospitalizations are significantly reduced in the vaccinated but a proportion of such people may still have mild or asymptomatic infections, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said on Tuesday.

Therefore, it is important to follow COVID-appropriate behavior at all times including strict use of masks, maintaining social distancing, and hand-washing, the minister said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

She was responding to a question on the number of people infected by the COVID-19 virus even after vaccination in the country and the number of vaccinated people who lost their lives.

Pawar said, ''As per the available scientific literature, most of the current COVID-19 vaccines are disease-modifying in nature wherein mortality and hospitalizations are significantly reduced in vaccinated individuals. However, a proportion of the vaccinated individuals may still have mild or asymptomatic infections. '''Therefore, it is important to maintain COVID appropriate behavior at all times including strict use of masks, follow social distancing and hand-washing,'' Pawar said the Health Ministry and ICMR have developed an India COVID-19 vaccination tracker which depicts the overall as well as age disaggregated information on numbers of COVID-19 deaths in unvaccinated individuals compared with numbers of deaths in partially and fully vaccinated individuals.

The Government through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in pursuance of directions given by the Supreme Court has issued 'Guidelines to provide for ex-gratia assistance to the kin of the deceased by COVID-19'.

The NDMA has recommended payment of an amount of Rs. 50,000 per deceased person, including those involved in relief operations or associated in preparedness activities, through State Disaster Response Fund subject to the cause of death being certified as COVID-19, Pawar stated. She was asked whether the government has formulated any plan to provide financial assistance to the families of citizens who have lost their lives due to COVID-19.

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