Arushi Bidhuri
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Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Updated : December 25, 2020 9:44 AM IST
Ever since the outbreak of coronavirus, scientists knew there was a need for a vaccine to prevent the viral infection from spreading. After working tirelessly for months, scientists have successfully produced vaccines to counter the effects of SARS-CoV-2. As the world gears up against COVID-19, India has emerged one of the successful countries to have discovered a vaccine.
Covaxin, India's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech, is developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). A new study suggests that Covaxin showed long-term antibody and T-cell (immune) memory responses three months after the shot on phase 1 volunteers and tolerable safety outcomes in Phase 2 study. The researchers suggested that antibodies may persist for 6 to 12 months.
In phase 2, it also showed an enhanced humoral, and cell-mediated immune response and the results were found in the safety and immunogenicity clinical trial of the vaccine candidate. Memory T cells are antigen-specific T cells that remain over the long term after an infection has been eliminated.
In a double-blind, randomized, multi-centre phase 2 clinical trials, a total of 380 healthy children and adults were randomized and administered two vaccine formulations in as many doses, four weeks apart. Covaxin produced high levels of neutralizing antibodies that remained elevated in all participants three months after the second vaccination.
Based on these results, researchers hypothesize that BBV152 (Covaxin) can generate antibodies that may protect people for at least 6-12 months. Covaxin was also tolerated in both groups with no serious problems, according to the research paper.
Covaxin is an indigenous, inactivated vaccine developed and manufactured at Bharat Biotech's Bio-Safety Level 3 biocontainment facility. It is a highly purified and inactivated vaccine, which was manufactured in a vero cell manufacturing platform. Bharat Biotech had recently announced the commencement of Phase III clinical trial of the vaccine. The trials involved 26,000 volunteers across India. It has been evaluated in 1,000 subjects in Phase 1 and Phase II clinical trials.
Covaxin has been developed with an inactivated strain of the novel coronavirus, which doesn't multiply inside human cells. It protects the immune system and stimulates its antibody response towards the virus. This a tried and tested technology used in several other vaccines used for diseases like seasonal influenza, polio, rabies and more.
(with inputs from agencies)
