A new study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) says that indigenously developed Covaxin is effective against variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The research is yet to be peer reviewed. The study also discovered that the vaccine is thrice as effective in creating antibodies as a previous Covid infection.
The research findings say that Covaxin creates 2.7 times less neutralising titre against the delta variant and three times less neutralising titre against the beta variant of the virus. Furthermore, the neutralising titre refers to the level of antibodies created.
The vaccine remains effective against both strains. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Covaxin, which was developed by Bharat Biotech in association with ICMR, is one of the three vaccines approved for Covid-19 immunisation in India. The other two are Covishield by Serum Institute of India and Sputnik V of Russia. Covaxin uses an inactivated whole virus to elicit an immune response.
Also, Covaxin accounts for at least 11% of the vaccine shots given in the country so far. The data is as per the government’s CoWIN platform. Moreover, the company is in the process of scaling up its production, including by licensing its technology. It is likely to contribute a higher share of immunisation in the future.
The Centre on Tuesday fixed the maximum price that private hospitals can charge for the Covid-19 vaccines. The pricing comes amid strong allegations of profiteering from the opposition.
The price of Covishield has been fixed at Rs 780 a dose. Russian vaccine Sputnik V will cost Rs 1,145 a dose while for India-made Covaxin, one will have to pay Rs 1,410 a dose. This includes taxes as well as a 150-rupee service charge for the hospitals.
ALSO READ: India Reports 92,596 New COVID-19 Cases And 2,219 Deaths In 24 Hours
