What is Covaxin?

Covaxin, also known as BBV152, was the first fully indigenous COVID-19 vaccine developed in India. The Covaxin vaccine is used to prevent the current Coronavirus Pandemic, COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 

It is currently one of two vaccines being administered in India in the fight against Covid-19.

The Covaxin vaccine was developed by Bharat Biotech along with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). They used a sample of the coronavirus that had been isolated by the National Institute of Virology in India.

The Covaxin vaccine is made by using an inactivated strain of the coronavirus that is safe to be injected into patients. With this type of vaccine, the immune system recognizes this deadly virus and then begins to make antibodies against the coronavirus.

Covaxin was approved for emergency use on 1 January 2021 by the Indian regulatory bodies, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). It began to be deployed at vaccination centers across the country on 16 January 2021. 

As it was approved while the third phase of the trial was still underway, the vaccine initially sparked some skepticism. However, after the phase III trials were completed, the vaccine was proved effective against the virulent Covid-19.

Initial research during the vaccine’s phase I and II trials showed promising results. It was seen that Covaxin produced a robust immune response against Covid-19 and that most of the adverse side effects and events were mild and easily resolved. 

In March 2021, preliminary data from its phase 3 trial showed that the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 81%, but updated data reported that efficacy dropped to 78%. 

Later trials also showed that Covaxin was effective in neutralizing the United Kingdom variant of the coronavirus (SARS CoV 2 variant, B.1.1.7) as well as the “double mutant” variant identified in India (B.1.617).

Covaxin is manufactured by Indian biotechnology company- Bharat Biotech at their various plants across India. Bharat Biotech has also entered into partnerships with other companies to co-develop the vaccine globally. 

Some of these include Ocugen for the U.S. market and Precisa Med to supply Covaxin in Brazil.

Covaxin is given in two doses. The second dose should be taken between 28 days to 42 days after the first dose.

Covaxin was initially set at a fixed price of Rs 600 per dose for state governments and Rs 1200 per dose for private hospitals. This was later reduced to Rs 400 per dose for states. 

If you are set to take this vaccine, you might be wondering how much you will have to pay. The price of the vaccine may vary depending on where you get it. For example,  some state governments have pledged to administer the vaccine for free at government-run vaccination centers. However, at private hospitals, the cost for each dose starts at Rs 250 and can go up to Rs 1,400. 

So far, these states include:

Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Bengal, Assam, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand.

Like many other Covid-19 vaccines, taking a dose of Covaxin might produce some side effects. These include – pain at the injection site, swelling, itching, fever, rashes, overall weakness, dizziness, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.

In a few rare cases, people might also experience difficulty in breathing and swelling of the throat and face. No other serious or adverse effects have been reported.

The Covaxin vaccine has also been approved for emergency use in numerous countries around the world, including: 

• Iran
• Zimbabwe
• Mauritius
• Nepal
• Paraguay
• Philippines
• Mexico
• Myanmar
• Guatemala
• Nicaragua
• Guyana
• Venezuela
• Botswana