India’s drug regulator, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation, has allowed controlled human clinical trials for “Covaxin”. It’s the first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine candidate to receive this approval. The trials are scheduled to start across India in July.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has partnered with Bharat Biotech India Limited (BBIL) to develop this Covid-19 vaccine.
Who developed the vaccine?
It was developed by BBIL and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
The NIV (under ICMR) isolated a strain of the virus from an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient and transferred it to BBIL.
Live Attenuated Vaccines:
Weakened or attenuated form of the germ that causes a disease.
Because these vaccines are so similar to the natural infection that they help prevent, they create a strong and long lasting immune response.
Just one or two doses of most live vaccines can give you a lifetime protection against the germ and the disease it causes.
Live vaccines are used to protect against measles, bumps, rubella, rotavirus, smallpox, chicken pox, yellow fever, etc.
Inactivated Vaccines:
Inactivated vaccines use the inactive (dead) version of the germ that causes the disease.
Inactivated vaccines usually don’t provide immunity protection that’s as strong as live vaccines/booster shots.
Inactivated vaccines usually have a better safety record.
Inactivated vaccines are used to protect against Hepatitis-A, flu, polio, rabies, etc.
Other Indian firms engaged in the development of COVID-19 vaccines are Zydus Cadila, Serum Institute of India, Panacea Biotec.
AstraZeneca, Moderna Ahead In Coronavirus Vaccine Race:
AstraZeneca experimental coronavirus vaccine is probably the world’s leading candidate and most advanced in terms of development, WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Friday.