As the second wave of COVID-19 continues to deteriorate rapidly, Sputnik V, a vaccine developed in Russia, gets authorization for its use in India. India targets to vaccinate 250 million people by the end of July, but looking at the reduced pace of vaccination, this seems far-fetched.
Currently, India has in total 3 approved vaccines- COVAXIN, Covishield, and Sputnik V (approved on Tuesday). Indian has released over 100 million doses of COVAXIN and Covishield so far.
Information Regarding The Vaccines:
COVAXIN-
- India’s first COVID-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech is associated with the National Institute of Virology and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
- It is a type of inactivated vaccine which contains an inactivated form of the virus, and can potentially activate the immune response in a person taking the vaccine.
- It requires two doses for completion of the vaccination, with an interval of 28 days between the doses.
- COVAXIN has proven to be safe with an effectiveness of 78%.
- So far, it has only been approved in India.
- Its effectiveness against a different strain of SARS-CoV-2 has not been studied so far.
- Though no major adverse reactions have been reported with the vaccine, some common side effects include- abdominal pain, nausea, pain at the site of administration, tremors, and so on.
Covishield-
- Developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, Covishield is the second approved vaccine in India.
- It is a type of non-replicating virus vaccine.
- It requires two doses for completion of the vaccination, with an interval of 42-56 days between the two doses.
- Covishield has proven to be safe with high effectiveness of 81%
- It has been approved for use in over 80 countries across the world.
- It is effective against all variants of SARS-CoV-2.
- With minimal severity of adverse reactions following vaccination, some common side effects associated with the vaccine include- pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia, diarrhoea, chills, and so on.
Sputnik V-
- It is a Russian vaccine recently approved in India.
- It was developed by Gamaleya Research Institute, with its headquarters in Moscow.
- It is a type of non-replicating virus vaccine.
- It requires two doses for completion of the vaccination, with an interval of 21 days between the doses.
- Sputnik V has proven to be safe with high effectiveness of 90%
- It has been approved for use in over 60 countries across the world.
- Its effectiveness against different variants of SARS-CoV-2 is under research.
- Some common side effects associated with the vaccine include- flu-like symptoms, weakness, low energy, and so on.
Other Important Information:
- It is important to note that even if you have been infected with COVID-19, you should get vaccinated 4-8 weeks after recovery in order to build up a stronger immune response.
- As the longevity of the immune response by the vaccine is not yet determined, wear a mask and avoid gathering even after you have been vaccinated.
- Vaccines are completely safe in any phase of the menstrual cycle.
- None of the above vaccines affect the fertility of an individual.
- Contraindications for the vaccines include persons with a history of anaphylaxis to a previous dose of the vaccine, and pregnant and lactating mothers.
Conclusion
Herd immunity is the only way to escape the rapidly evolving cases of COVID-19 each day, which can only be achieved by mass vaccination. Kindly register yourself at the CoWIN portal and get vaccinated as soon as it is available at your nearest vaccination center. Stay home. Stay safe. Together, we can defeat the virus.