As new Covid variant revives old fears, is India prepared?
India must deploy a calibrated response: sustained surveillance, protection of the vulnerable and awareness that cuts through panic and misinformation
TOPIC
Covaxin
COVAXIN is India's homegrown COVID-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV). It is a two-dose vaccine administered within a gap of few weeks.
The inactivated vaccine, which uses adjuvant Alhydroxiquim, is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility.
Whole-Virion inactivated vero cell derived platform technology is used for developing COVAXIN. Inactivated vaccines are unlikely to revert and cause pathological effects and do not replicate. The vaccine is made up of killed coronaviruses and when administered, it prompts the immune system to build antibodies against the virus and does not cause any infection.
Bharat Biotech claimed that COVAXIN shows an interim efficacy of 81 per cent in its phase 3 clinical trials. COVAXIN was approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for restricted emergency use in January 2020. A controversy also erupted after the vaccine was cleared for emergency use while its trials were still underway.
In July 2020, DGCI gave its nod to COVAXIN to conduct phase I and phase II clinical human trials. After the completion of phase II interim analysis, Bharat Biotech said that the vaccine has 78 per cent efficacy against mild, moderate and severe Covid-19 disease.
The vaccine can be stored at temperature ranging from2 to 8 degree Celsius and includes immune-potentiates to boost its immunogenicity.
According to Bharat Biotech, COVAXIN is effective against variants of concern and demonstrates 65.2 per cent protection against the SARS-CoV-2, B.1.617.2 delta variant.
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Experts debunk Covid vaccine-heart attack link: Lifestyle blamed for rising cases
Medical experts discuss the alleged connection between COVID-19 vaccines and heart attacks, firmly stating there is no scientific evidence to support such claims.
Covid vaccine and heart attacks: What's the truth? Top doctors decode
The transcript features a discussion with two medical experts, Dr. Kunal Sarkar and Dr. Subramaniam Swaminathan, about the perceived link between COVID-19 vaccines and heart attacks. They emphasize that there is no authenticated data supporting a correlation between COVID vaccination and increased heart attacks. The experts highlight India's high incidence of cardiac problems due to factors like diabetes, hypertension, and lifestyle issues. They discuss studies showing that respiratory viral infections can trigger cardiac events, and that flu vaccines may actually reduce the risk of death in heart attack patients. The conversation also touches on the need for better recording of vaccine side effects in India and the importance of lifestyle changes to prevent heart problems.
Vaccination for 12-14 year olds likely from March, says Covid panel chief
India will likely begin inoculating children in the 12-14 age groups against Covid from March as the 15-18 population will mostly be fully vaccinated by then, Dr NK Arora, Chairman of the Covid-19 working group NTAGI, said on Monday. Of the estimated 7.4 crore children in the 15-18 age bracket, over 3.45 crore have already received the first dose of Covaxin so far and their second dose is due in 28 days, he said.
V-Day for young India! Vaccination drive for 15-18 year-olds begins
As Covid-19 cases, including those of the Omicron variant, rapidly rise in India, the next leg of the nation’s vaccination drive started on Monday. Vaccination for children aged 15-18 years began across the country on Monday. The CoWIN app had already recorded over six lakh registrations by Sunday evening. The vaccine option for this age group is the indigenously-developed Covaxin. The Centre has advised states and UTs to provide separate vaccination centres, session sites, queues and different vaccination teams for the 15-18 year age group.
Watch: Covid vaccination for 15 to 18 year old to begin
As India gears up to vaccinate 15 to 18 year olds from January 3, the CoWIN app has already recorded over six lakh registrations till Sunday evening. The vaccine option for this age group would be indigenously-developed Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
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