Covaxin found effective against multiple variants of coronavirus

A study conducted by the National Institute of Virology and the India Council of Medical Research revealed that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is effective against multiple variants of coronavirus including the ones found in India (B.1.617) and the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7).

Link to article published in CID – Oxford University Press.
COVAXIN neutralising emerging variants. https://t.co/ZholzoDD7F pic.twitter.com/ksiNL1kLXq

— Suchitra Ella (@SuchitraElla) May 16, 2021

Bharat Biotech’s joint managing director Suchitra Ella tweeted that Covaxin produces neutralizing titers (concentration) against all the key emerging variants of Covid-19 that were tested.

Although a small reduction in neutralization by a factor of 1.95 was found between the B.1.617 variant and the vaccine strain (D614G), the neutralizing titer levels still remain above what is required for it to be protective.
“No difference in neutralization between B.1.1.7 (first found in the UK) and vaccine strain (D614G) was observed,” Bharat Biotech said.

Covaxin gets international recognition yet again, by scientific research data published demonstrating protection against the new variants.Yet another feather in its cap👍🏼@PMOIndia @nsitharaman @drharshvardhan @MoHFW_INDIA @ICMRDELHI @DBTIndia @doctorsoumya @BharatBiotech pic.twitter.com/AUhphvvivz

— Suchitra Ella (@SuchitraElla) May 15, 2021

Suchitra Ella, joint managing director of Bharat Biotech, announced these findings on Twitter on Sunday.
This study has been published in peer-reviewed medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The study was conducted by the National Institute of Virology and the India Council of Medical Research.

Covaxin is one of the three Covid-19 vaccines currently available in India. The other two are Covishield and Sputnik V.

According to Union Health Ministry data, a total of more than 18 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered across the country as of now even as India battles the devastating second wave of the pandemic, an India Today report said.