Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray (File image)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is expected to decide on a strict lockdown in the next two days as the present restrictions are not yielding the desired results to curb COVID-19, state minister Vijay Wadettiwar said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, the Relief and Rehabilitation Minister also said the state government will study the lockdown imposed by the Delhi government before taking any decision.

"The ongoing curfew is not helping (in containing the spread of COVID-19) in the way it was expected. A decision is expected in connection with a strict lockdown in a day or two. The chief minister will take a call after consulting others," he said.

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COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray may decide on strict lockdown in next 2 days: Minister

Speaking to reporters, the Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar also said the state government will study the lockdown imposed by the Delhi government before taking any decision.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray (File image)

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