HOME       Contact Us      Hire Us       Domestic Airlines        Railway Enquiry     Railway Booking     Hotels & Flights Abroad
NEIGHBOURS CALLING:      Dubai      Malaysia     Nepal     Bhutan
Yogi Logo
indiatraveltimes.com
Yogi Logo
Oxford vaccine trial is back with a bang - UK regulator gives safety clearance
AstraZeneca pharma giant has resumed clinical trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine, AZD1222, after a pause clamped last week over development of an illness, transverse myelitis, in a participant. The final trials were going on in several countries like the UK, US and India. The trials resumed after safety clearance from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The adverse episode of transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder of the spinal cord, could be caused by a coincidental viral infection or an autoimmune attack on the myelin in the spinal column on the lines of MS or just like in bowel dysfunction (IBS) or could be even a minor cytokine storm, not linked to the vaccine.

NEW DELHI, Sept 13: The Oxford vaccine for coronavirus on Saturday resumed final clinical trials halted across several countries due to the development of an illness in one of the tens of thousands of participants in its UK leg last week. The clearance has come in lightning speed considering the emergency situation, even as predictions from various quarters did not see any chance of resumption of the trials untill next year.

The sanction from the UK regulator, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), followed the recommendations of an independent safety review committee, which investigated the episode.

"Clinical trials for the AstraZeneca Oxford coronavirus vaccine, AZD1222, have resumed in the UK following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that it was safe to do so," the AstraZeneca pharma giant said in a statement.

AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish pharma company, has been participating in the trial and production of the AZD1222 COVID-19 vaccine with the Oxford University Jenner Institute, which had developed the vaccine.

The illness in one participant in a UK leg that led to the pause in the final phase of trials of the Oxford vaccine all over the world has now been revealed as transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder, that may or may not be an isolated case of reaction to the vaccine. AstraZeneca's chief executive, Pascal Soriot, had told medical journal Stat News that the illness has been diagnosed as transverse myelitis but did not disclose further details, may be because of patient's confidentiality issue. Possibly the adverse event was not linked to the vaccine as the pause has been lifted with immediate effect.

Eruption of various symptoms is quite common in the course of development of a vaccine. And temporary pauses in trials are also not uncommon in medical research. Besides, a stray episode could be coincidental as its possibility is higher when thousands of volunteers are participating, said AstraZeneca. It may not have anything to do with the vaccine at all.

What is transverse myelitis

Transverse myelitis could be viral infection. It could also be an autoimmune attack on the myelin in the spinal column on the lines of MS or just like in bowel dysfunction (IBS) etc or a minor cytokine storm occurring as a blind response to the introduction of the vector or even a RNA simulator in the vaccine. The vaccine candidate had already passed all the stages of safety trials so far.

Transverse myelitis can give pain in the neck or back or numbness in the legs etc. It can progressively lead to sensorimotor myelopathy as well. Administration of steroids is the common treatment.

The Oxford vaccine Phase 3 final clinical trials on around 30,000 participants have been going on in the US, the UK, Brazil, South Africa and India.

Nearly 180 vaccine candidates are being developed around the world but none has yet completed all the clinical trials, according to WHO statistics. The Oxford vaccine was considered as number one to hit the market.

ADVERTISEMENT

SELECTIONS FROM OUR ARCHIVES

The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.

The irony lies in her illustration of her experiences in the country she has been living in for the last four years. What it really is!

ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!

The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.

Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.

  • The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
  • The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
  • The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)

A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924) (Today's headlines )

Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”

Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.

PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.

Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people. (Today's headlines )

"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...

Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.

Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.

As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.

The committee headed by justice Kurian Joseph will study Centre-State relations and make proposals to ensure foolproof separation of powers.

"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.

Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.

ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!

What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America! (Today's headlines )

PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).

In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.

THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.

The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.

Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See: New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)

ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Files
ARCHIVES

ADVERTISEMENT

Neighbours
Calling

Bhutan
Nepal
Malaysia
Dubai

Vaishno Devi Yatra is suspended since July 19 due to heavy rain and landslides
Lakhs visit the temple in Katra a day
Paleontologist Dr Alan Grant of Jurassic Park, actor Sam Neill dies in Sydney at 78
A legendary Dr Grant
Apex court stays Madras HC order to enforce ban on cow slaughter across Tamil Nadu
Cow is a religious symbol
"Nightingale of South India", veteran playback singer S Janaki dies at Apollo in Mysuru
Playback singer
Modi hoists saffron flag atop Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, marking completion of temple construction
Guru Purnima celebrations on Thursday, July 10: Why Hindus celebrate Guru Purnima; its significance
Krystyna Pyszková passes on Miss World crown to Opal Suchata from Thailand
Amarnath yatra commences on July 3, concludes on Aug 9; registration dates to be announced
Maha Kumbh Mela: Millions of pilgrims take holy dip at Triveni Sangam in Prayag on Vasant Panchami
Veteran Malayalam playback singer P Jayachandran passes away at 80 after prolonged illness

Fashion & Lifestyle
Cuisines
Yoga & Asanas
Fairs, Festivals & Melas
Religion & Cult
Pilgrimage
Art & Culture
History, Legends & Mythology
Ayurveda
Free Ayurveda Consultation
ADVERTISEMENT

ARCHIVES
A Window On India
Fashion & Lifestyle
Yoga & Asanas
Fairs, Festivals & Melas
Religion & Cult
Pilgrimage
Art & Culture
History, Legends & Mythology
Ayurveda
News (Archives)
Travel News
Travel News Archives
Travel News Index



Custom Search


Home
Contact Us

NOTE: Free contributions of articles and reports may be sent to: IndiaTravelTimes[at]gmail[dot]com

DISCLAIMER
All Rights Reserved © 2026 www.indiatraveltimes.com