COVISHIELD
AND COVAXIN - SCI & TECH
News:
What study on Covishield
versus Covaxin vaccine reveals
What's
in the news?
●
A recent study led by scientists from the
National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and conducted across 11
institutes has provided compelling insights into the immunogenicity of 2
primary Covid-19 vaccines in India - Covishield and Covaxin.
Immunogenicity:
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Immunogenicity refers to the ability of a substance, such as a vaccine
or antigen, to provoke an immune response in the body.
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This response typically involves the
production of antibodies and activation of immune cells, leading to protection
against infection or disease.
Key
takeaways:
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The recent study examined the immune
responses induced by Covishield and Covaxin vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.
●
Covishield,
utilising a virus vector to deliver the coronavirus spike protein,
consistently elicited a more robust immune response (higher antibody levels in
both seronegative (individuals without prior exposure) and seropositive
(individuals with prior exposure) compared to Covaxin, an inactivated virus
vaccine.
●
Additionally, Covishield elicited a
greater number of T cells, indicating a stronger immune response.
COVAXIN:
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COVAXIN is an inactivated vaccine, created from a strain of the infectious
SARS-CoV-2 virus, that has shown promise in preclinical studies, demonstrating
extensive safety and effective immune responses.
Developed
by - Bharat Biotech in collaboration with
the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of
Virology (NIV).
Features:
●
The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV,
Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech. The indigenous, inactivated vaccine
will be developed and manufactured by Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3)
High Containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, India.
Trials:
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Human clinical trials of the experimental
COVID-19 are scheduled to start across the country in July 2020.
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Bharat Biotech’s track record in
developing Vero cell culture platform technologies has been proven in several
vaccines for polio, rabies, rotavirus,
Japanese Encephalitis, Chikungunya and Zika.
COVISHIELD:
●
The COVISHIELD vaccine is developed by the
University of Oxford and the British
Pharmaceutical major Astra Zeneca.
●
In India, the vaccine is to be made and
marketed by Pune Serum Institute of
India.
Features:
●
It is technically referred to as AZD1222
or ChAdOx 1 nCoV-19.
●
The COVISHIELD vaccine uses a harmless virus to transport genetic
material in order to trigger the immune response to the COVID-19 virus.
Trials:
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The COVISHIELD trials in India were
conducted by the Serum Institute of India
●
It is already being tested in the UK,
South Africa and Brazil, where participants are being administered two doses
nearly a month apart.