Bharat Biotech's Covaxin booster dose effective against both Omicron & Delta variants

As the Omicron variant continues to drive the third wave of COVID-19 in India, in a positive development, the booster dose of India’s indigenous COVID vaccine Covaxin, was found to be efficient to neutralise the newly detected ‘highly mutated’ B.1.1.529- Omicron variant in the latest research. The research also predicted that the inactivated whole virion vaccine had proven to be 100% effective in neutralising the formidable Delta variant of SARS-CoV2. The study further clears all doubts being raised on the efficacy of the vaccine against the Omicron variant.

Covaxin's booster dose proves to be effective against Omicron & Delta variant

The study on Covaxin’s booster dose was conducted at Emory University demonstrating that the samples from subjects who received a booster dose of Covaxin six months after getting two doses of the vaccine neutralised the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants. Research further enumerates that more than 90% of all individuals boosted with Covaxin showed neutralising antibodies against the Omicron variant and almost 100% of individuals inoculated with the vaccine had neutralising capability against the Delta variant.

In the research, sera samples (blood samples) of people who had received booster shots after both the doses of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin were observed to be effective in neutralising both the variants on a live virus neutralisation assay.

It was further discovered that the immunity to wane out the COVID virus (both Omicron and Delta mutation) was much more as compared to what has been seen in other mRNA based vaccines like Moderna etc. In technical terms, “The neutralization activity of COVAXIN boosted sera (blood) was comparable to what has been observed in mRNA vaccine-boosted sera against the Omicron variant & Delta variant.” 

Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech said, “We are in a continuous state of innovation and product development for COVAXIN®️. The positive neutralization responses against the Omicron and Delta variants validate our hypothesis of a multi-epitope vaccine generating both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Our goals of developing a global vaccine against COVID-19 have been achieved with the use of COVAXIN®️ as a universal vaccine for adults and children.”

Covaxin's efficacy against Omicron erases doubts on efficacy of vaccines against new variant

Earlier studies had demonstrated the neutralising potential of Covaxin against other COVID variants too -Alpha, Beta, Delta, Zeta and Kappa.

The development holds significance for India, as India has permitted the inoculation of the ‘preventive doses’ to the priority groups- including healthcare workers and old people with co-morbidities. Covaxin is being administered as a booster vaccine, along with Covishield. Meanwhile, Covaxin is being administered to youngsters below the age of 18 years (15-18) in India. 

Image: PTI/ Unsplash