Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : August 31, 2021 9:53 PM IST
Amid speculations about the third wave in India, experts have claimed that an individual who was infected with COVID-19 and has received a single dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin elicits a similar antibody response as obtained with two doses of the vaccine compared to those who don't have a previous history of the infection. In a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, researchers have said that their preliminary findings have shown that a single dose of BBV152 vaccine may be recommended to previously confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals so that the naive individuals could attain the larger benefit of a limited vaccine supply.
Covaxin, India's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, which is also known as BBV152, was approved by the government for emergency use in January. According to the vaccine makers, two doses of the Covaxin given with a gap of four to six weeks can save an individual from severe infections due to COVID-19. According to the reports, the study was undertaken to examine SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody responses after day zero (baseline, before vaccination), day 28 plus/minus two days post-first dose (month 1), and day 56 plus/minus two days post-first dose (month 2) of BBV152 in a group of healthcare professionals as well as frontline workers.
The study result showed that the antibody response of individuals with confirmed pre-vaccination SARSCoV-2 infection was compared with those individuals who have no prior evidence of the coronavirus infection. For the study, the researchers collected blood samples from 114 healthcare professionals and frontline workers who received Covaxin doses between February to May 2021. "Overall, good vaccine-induced antibody responses were seen in prior SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals, except in two, who received a single dose of BBV152 vaccine that was similar to antibody responses seen after a two-dose vaccination course administered to infection-naive individuals," the study stated.
"Our results in a varied group of healthcare professionals and frontline workers lend support to the previous studies (albeit mainly focused on mRNA vaccines) that increased levels of SARS-CoV-2 binding and neutralizing antibodies are present after a single vaccine dose in previously infected individuals and are comparable to the levels seen after two doses in those without prior infection," it added. The recent study also offers genuine evidence in support of public health-oriented and immunologically sustained vaccine strategies.
(With inputs from IANS)
