In an attempt to effectively mitigate the Covid-19 crisis, a crucial part of this fight against the Covid-19 virus has been the administration of vaccines. Currently in India, vaccines such as COVAXIN, COVISHIELD and Sputnik vaccines are being administered to people, while several others have received the government approval.
Here is a comprehensive list of vaccines currently in use in the country:
- Sputnik Light: India has given regulatory approval to Russia's one-shot Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine after it authorized Russia's main vaccine - the two-dose Sputnik V - last year, the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Sputnik Light, the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine, can be used as a booster shot with other vaccines, RDIF said. Head of the fund Kirill Dmitriev called Sputnik Light in a statement "the solution to increase efficacy and duration of other vaccines, including against Omicron variant." RDIF struck deals with seven Indian pharmaceutical companies to make a total of 1 billion Sputnik doses both for export and for use in India. Sputnik vaccine is developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute.
- mRNA vaccines: India's Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is working on an Omicron-specific mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. The Omicron-specific variant of the vaccine is under development and will be ready for human clinical trials, subject to regulatory approvals," a company spokesperson said. Pfizer Inc said last week a redesigned Covid-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron coronavirus variant could be ready to launch by March. The government said last year that product was found to be "safe, tolerable, and immunogenic" in the participants of an initial study. If given emergency-use approval, this would be the country's first mRNA Covid-19 vaccine like the ones developed by Pfizer and Moderna.
- Corbevax vaccine: The Central government has placed an order with Hyderabad based Pharmaceutical company Biological E for five crore doses of 'Corbevax' Covid-19 vaccine with each dose costing ₹145. The government had earlier placed an order for 30 crore Corbevax doses on August 21, 2021. The government has not decided yet about the beneficiaries of the vaccine. However, Corbevax can also be used for children vaccination aged between 12-15 years. The Hyderabad based company is expected to deliver the doses in the month of February. The HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector undertaking has issued the supply order of Corbevax to Biological E. The pharmaceutical company Biological E has also received permission for heterologous booster dose trials.
- ZyCoV-D: While it is the world’s first DNA based vaccine for Covid-19 developed by India, ZyCoV-D has been developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology under the ‘Mission COVID Suraksha’ and implemented by BIRAC. On August 20, 2021 it had received approval for emergency use authorization from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). It is a DNA plasmid-based Covid-19 vaccine which produces a spike protein of the coronavirus in the cell and this elicits an immune response against the coronavirus.
- COVOVAX: The World Health Organisation (WHO) approved emergency use listing for Covovax vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India in December 2021. Covovax was assessed under the WHO emergency use listing procedure based on the review of data on quality, safety and efficacy, a risk management plan, programmatic suitability, and manufacturing site inspections carried out by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
- COVISHIELD: Manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, COVISHIELD is a viral vector-based technology which is also used to manufacture Ebola vaccines. This is based on the same patent technology as the Astrazeneca vaccine.
- COVAXIN: Manufactured by Bharat Biotech, indigenous vaccine COVAXIN is a whole-virion inactivated coronavirus vaccine which is also used to manufacture vaccines like influenza, rabies and hepatitis.
- Johnson & Johnson vaccine: Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya has given the Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine Emergency Use approval in India. Mandaviya said this will further boost the country’s collective fight against the novel coronavirus infection. It is interesting to note that the fact sheet for Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine has been revised by U.S. regulators to warn of the risk of a rare bleeding disorder. The FDA said that the adverse-event reports suggested an increased risk of immune thrombocytopenia during the 42 days following vaccination. Symptoms include bruising or excessive or unusual bleeding, according to the agency. The changes to the fact sheet include recommendations to vaccination providers about giving the J&J shot to people with existing medical conditions, including those who have a low level of platelets, a type of blood cell that helps stop bleeding.
