Covid-19 Vaccine: India’s Covaxin Works After Millions Were Jabbed
The COVID-19 vaccine made from India was found safe and effective based on interim findings, according to its developer
This vaccine might be a key India needs to boost its vaccination campaign
On the official website of Covaxin, Bharat Biotech mentioned that the vaccine has been developed and produced in a biosafety level 3, a high containment facility
It features whole-virion inactivated Vero cell technology to elicit immune response
Similar to other known inactivated vaccines, the dead coronavirus could no longer replicate and revert back to its wild form, preventing the chance of causing COVID-19
The biotechnology company chose the platform due to its historical significance in creating various vaccines, including those for seasonal flu, polio, rabies, and Japanese encephalitis
Besides the inactivated virus, the vaccine also features adjuvants or chemicals specifically designed to increase the odds of inducing immune response
But like most COVID-19 vaccines, Covaxin must be given in a two-dose regimen with an interval of 28 days between doses
Another advantage of Covaxin is its convenient storage requirements compared to some other models
It can be stored in typical storage with temperatures of two to eight degrees Celsius
It doesn't require reconstitution and can be used immediately
Covaxin has passed Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials
In Phase 1, 375 volunteers were involved and the vaccine demonstrated efficacy against two strains of SARS-CoV-2, and only 15% of volunteers reported side effects
In Phase 2, 380 participants aged 12 to 65 years were included
The vaccine was found well-tolerated and could induce both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses
In the Phase 3 study, 25,800 people participated and were examined for immune response and adverse reactions
According to The New York Times, the Government of Brazil is one of the first to purchase Covaxin and wondered if the vaccine works
That question is likely answered now with an 81% overall efficacy rate against the COVID-19 virus
The interim results, yet to be peer-reviewed, revealed that the volunteers were aged 18 to 98 years
That included 2,433 adults aged 60 and over and 4,500 people with preexisting medical conditions
Initial findings were derived on 43 cases composed of 36 COVID-19 cases and seven cases from the placebo group
The comparison suggested that the efficacy was 80.6% to be precise
Further analyses are scheduled to prove the interim results
An additional interim analysis of 87 cases and a final analysis of 130 cases have been planned by Bharat