Dear Express Explained Reader, The policy change on the pandemic this week was the decision taken by the government to allow pregnant women to get vaccinated after making an ‘informed choice’ in the matter. Vaccination for pregnant and lactating women has been debated by health agencies around the world since late last year, and the decision truly opens up the national inoculation programme to all of India above the age of 18. Kaunain Sheriff M provided the details of the Health Ministry’s guidelines, and answered several associated questions. Also this week, the regulator granted emergency use authorisation to Moderna’s mRNA vaccine, paving the way for its import into India. A more significant development was Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila applying for restricted emergency approval for its vaccine ZyCoV-D which, if cleared by the regulator, will be India’s second indigenously developed vaccine, and the world’s first ‘plasmid DNA’ vaccine for Covid-19. Prabha Raghavan wrote about the DNA technology platform on which ZyCoV-D is based, and the ways in which this three-dose vaccine is different from the other currently available vaccines. Deeptesh Sen wrote a similar explainer on the messenger RNA technology on which Moderna’s vaccine is based. We also published this week some other, non-Covid-related, explainers around recent events that I would like to flag to you. Following last Sunday’s terrorist attack on the Air Force Station in Jammu, Deeptiman Tiwary and Krishn Kaushik wrote about the nature of the security threat from drones, and where India is currently placed in combating this threat. Alongside its outreach to mainstream political parties in the Kashmir Valley, the Centre seems willing to now pay attention to political aspirations that have long been expressed by Ladakh as well. These aspirations are, however, different in the two districts — Leh and Kargil — in Ladakh, which are different demographically, socially, and culturally. Nirupama Subramanian wrote a useful backgrounder to a story that you are likely to see more frequently in the news in the coming weeks and months. The Supreme Court has directed all states and Union Territories to implement, by the end of this month, the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme, which allows for inter- and intra-state portability of ration cards. Harikishan Sharma wrote about the scheme that aims to allow migrant workers and their families to obtain rations from any fair price shop anywhere in the country under The National Food Security Act of 2013, and the current status of its implementation. Until next Sunday, stay safe. Sincerely, Monojit (monojit.majumdar@expressindia.com) If you received this newsletter as a forward, you can subscribe to it here | Do read our Explained articles here | .png)
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