# Vaccines across the globe: India has informed the UN that it will ramp up production capacity as new Indian vaccines come on stream, emphasising that the supply chains of raw materials must be kept open as Covid-19 vaccines need to reach every corner of the globe.

# Stopping trials: Aurobindo Pharma and MSN Laboratories plan to discontinue Phase 3 trials of molnupiravir, an antiviral oral drug of Merck & Co, used in patients with moderate Covid. Incidentally, this investigational drug had reported promising results recently.

# Kerala’s toll: Vaccine hesitancy among an estimated five to six per cent of eligible persons, even including the educated and aware, combined with a new-found willingness to report death to claim doles, may be driving the high death numbers in Kerala.

# Indo-UK’s travel talks: UK recently announced that from October 11, Indian travellers arriving in the UK and are fully vaccinated with Covishield would not need to undergo a 10-day mandatory quarantine.

# Mutual recognition: India and Hungary have agreed to recognise each other’s Covid-19 vaccination certificates. “Mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates begins! India and Hungary agree to recognize each other’s Covid-19 vaccination certificates. Will facilitate mobility for education, business, tourism and beyond,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.

# Babies enhanced immunity: Babies born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection may have enhanced levels of immune cells known to be involved in rapid response to the viral infection, according to a study. Researchers at King’s College London looked at the immune system of 30 babies born to mothers exposed to SARS-CoV-2 at different stages of pregnancy.

# Pandemic impact on idol-makers this Pujo: For the second year in a row, orders for the Durga idols are down — by 30-40 percent — and international orders have been at their lowest, at 50 percent of normal years.

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