Pfizer says it is expanding testing of its COVID-19 vaccine in children younger than 12. After a first-step study in a small number of young children to test different doses, Pfizer is ready to enroll about 4,500 young volunteers at more than 90 sites in the U.S., Finland, Poland and Spain.  

Read the full story: Pfizer expands vaccine tests in kids under 12

After deciding on ramping up the vaccination drive nation-wide, the Centre on Tuesday capped the charges for administration of Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V in private hospitals. A private hospital can charge Rs 780, Rs 1,410 and Rs 1,145 for administration of Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V respectively.

This move is seen as an attempt to stop private hospitals from over-charging patients in the name of vaccination. The Central government on Tuesday also said that it has decided to increase the supply of two made-in-India vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has reached 23.88 crore, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. It said 13,32,471 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose and 76,723 beneficiaries of the same age group received their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine during the day.

Cumulatively, 3,17,37,869 people in the same age group across states and union territories have received their first dose and 3,16,134 their second dose since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive. 

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The last two months in the second wave of pandemic, which crippled an already overburdened healthcare system, has gravely affected Indians suffering from non-Covid chronic ailments like cancer, heart and kidney diseases, health experts said on Tuesday.

Read the full story here: How COVID second wave made it worse for Indians suffering from non-Covid ailments

As the country reels under a severe Covid wave, nearly every family has had a brush with the debilitating virus, and many members are going through a slow recovery. The ancient practice of yoga is known to offer scientifically proven solutions to many everyday problems both physical and mental. From increasing immunity to improving the function of vital organs of the body, from reducing stress to minimizing depression, yoga plays a major role if you choose the right asanas and practice them with awareness. These select asanas strengthen your body and mind, increase immunity, and take away fatigue.

During the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, many cases of children getting infected from the deadly virus have been reported. It starts off with milder symptoms in kids but it gets severe if it's not taken seriously. Therefore, it's essential that parents be aware of the symptoms and seek medical help immediately. Here are the symptoms that you should not be ignoring

"It's essential that all the family members stay at home until their test reports arrive. Make sure that people and pets in the house are away from your child as much as possible. Ensure that only one person in the family is handling the care of the sick child. If the infected child is above two-years-old then he/she should wear a mask at least for the time when the caregiver is in the room. Don't leave the child alone for a long time by putting on his/her mask. If the sick child is using the same washroom then wipe down the bathroom with disinfectant after he/she uses it. Other family members should sanitize their hands at regular intervals," says Nishant Bansal, Consultant Neonatologist, Motherhood Hospital, Noida.

However, the family should not panic. Covid-19 vaccines are now available for people who are 18 and older. Even the doses for infants are on trial currently. Everyone should get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

India on Tuesday recorded 86,498 new cases of the novel coronavirus, along with 2,123 deaths due to the infection. According to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry, the country saw a total of 1,82,282 discharges in the last 24 hours, taking the total recovery to 2,73,41,462. The total cases of COVID-19 in India have now mounted to 2,89,96,473, with 13,03,702 active cases, the data showed. The total death toll in the country is now at 3,51,309. A total of 23,61,98,726 people have so far been vaccinated against COVID-19 in India.

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Active COVID-19 cases in country decline to 13,03,702: Union Health Ministry.

Centre issues SOPs for vaccination of persons undertaking international travel for educational purposes, or employment opportunities, or as part of India's contingent for Tokyo Olympic games. Vaccination may be availed in cases through Passport which is one of the permissible ID documents as per the current guidelines so that the passport number is printed in the certificate.

The Union Health Ministry's Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued revised guidelines for the management of Covid patients. It dropped the use of ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and favipiravir - three widely-used drugs - from its list of approved Covid treatment options. It also does not mention taking steam inhalation and the use of vitamins for Covid treatment. Under the new DGHS guidelines, asymptomatic Covid patients (except those with comorbidities) have been advised against taking any medication, while those with mild cases may take antipyretic and antitussive for symptomatic relief.

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Covid-19 has had a bad effect on the health of the people. Also, the effect of this infection on mental health has been severe. Fear has engulfed many people's minds due to which many types of health problems have been seen, including the problem of insomnia. But, since the vaccination process started, there has been hope for a better tomorrow and we need to maintain it. In this difficult time, continuous efforts are being made by the government to encourage people towards vaccination.