Covaxin effective against UK coronavirus strain, variant found in India: Bharat Biotech
Bharat Biotech has said its vaccine Covaxin is effective against the aggressively virulent B.1.167 strain of Covid detected in India and the UK variant of the virus B.1.1.7.
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FollowNew Delhi: Bharat Biotech has said its vaccine Covaxin, has produced neutralising titres (concentration) against all key emerging variants tested, including the B.1.617 and B.1.1.7, first identified in India and the United Kingdom
A modest reduction in neutralisation by a factor of 1.95 was observed against the B.1.617 variant compared to the vaccine variant (D614G).
Despite this reduction, neutralising titre levels with B.1.617 remain above levels expected to be protective, it added.
Bharat Biotech joint managing director Suchitra Ella cited a study published in peer-reviewed medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
"Covaxin gets international recognition yet again, by scientific research data published demonstrating protection against the new variants. Yet another feather in its cap," Bharat Biotech co-founder and Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella said in a tweet. She also tagged PMO India, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, among others, in the tweet.
These findings are from a study conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology - India Council of Medical Research.
Her tweet spurred questions on social media regarding the availability of Covaxin, which received emergency approval along with Oxford University's Covishield in January.
The vaccine was launched in clinical trial mode as its third phase of trial was pending.
There were also questions on inviting other companies to manufacture the vaccine amid the current shortage, which has slowed down vaccination in the country despite the ongoing, aggressive second wave of Covid driven by lethal variants of the virus.
Covaxin is one of the three Covid-19 vaccines that are currently available in the country.
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