Wednesday, March 10, 2021

COVAXIN - A LIGHT OF HOPE AFTER DARK...

 COVAXIN - A LIGHT OF HOPE AFTER DARK





IN THIS BLOG I AM GOING TO DISCUSS ABOUT  BHARAT BIOTECH'S COVID -19 VACCINE "COVAXIN"..

THIS BLOG CONTAINS ALL DETAILS ABOUT 'COVAXIN' VACCINE..

FIRSTLY WE SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT COVID -19

COVID-19

COVID -19 is an infectious disease caused by newly discovered coronavirus .

Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment...

"COVAXIN" 

COVAXIN is the India's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine..

This vaccine was manufactured by an Indian biotechnology company named BHARAT BIOTECH in collaboration with ICMR (Indian Council Of Medical Research).

Bharat Biotech is one of the leading manufacturer of vaccines and a leading biotech company.

After a long struggle in search of solution for preventing the spread of corona virus , a purely indigenous vaccine "COVAXIN" was approved in India for the vaccination program.

LET US KNOW SOME BASIC THINGS ABOUT "COVAXIN"

MANUFACTURER  - Bharat Biotech
RESEARCH NAME - BBV152
VACCINE TYPE       - Inactivated
ADMINISTRATION METHOD- Intramuscular Injection

The COVAXIN is developed by using whole-virion inactivated Vero cell derived platform technology.

The inactivated vaccine are generally considered to be safe because they do not replicate and are therefore unlikely to revert and cause pathological effect..

INGREDIENTS :-

THE BHARAT BIOTECH'S COVAXIN HAS FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS ;-

6 micro gram of whole virion inactivated SARS-CoV -2 antigen (strain - NV-2020-770)

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS - 

Aluminum hydroxide gel (250 micro gram)

 Imidazoquinolinone (15 micro gram)

                                                

2-phenoxy ethanol (2.5 mg)

                                                

 Phosphated buffer saline upto 0.5 ml

CLINICAL RESEARCH :-

PHASE (I) AND PHASE (II) TRIALS :-

ICMR on may 2020 provided the virus strains for the development of vaccine for COVID-19 

In June 2020 the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) permitted the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine "COVAXIN" for phase I and phase II trials.
In total there were total 12 sites were selected for phase I and phase II trials.
The phase I and phase II study includes randomise , double-blind and placebo study on vaccine candidate..

The dosing regimen in phase I and phase II trials are different.

In phase I trials there is 2 weeks gap between the 1st and the 2nd dose. But in phase II trials there is 4 weeks gap between the 1st and the 2nd dose..

The later study shows that phase II trials had high immune response and T cell response than the phase II trials due to the difference in their dosing regimen..

PHASE(III) TRIALS:-

In November 2020 COVAXIN also got the permission for the conduction of phase III trials in which the volunteers of 18 year of age or above were participated . In total 26000 volunteers from all over the India participated in phase III trials of the vaccine which is done in 22 sites all over the India..

In march 2021 the efficacy rate for phase III trial is 81 percent.

EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION :-

Bharat biotech applied for EUC to DCGI for getting the permission for starting the emergency use of the vaccine..

On 2nd January 2021 Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) recommended the permission and on 3rd January the permission was granted..

The vaccine EUC was granted before outcome of phase III data , and this became the point of criticism in some sections of media.

HOW DOES IT WORKS:-

This vaccine contains the inactivated corona viruses which are injected inside the body through intramuscular route , this does not cause COVID -19 as the viruses are inactivated . So some of the inactivated viruses are swallowed by an immune cell known as antigen-presenting cell. 

The antigen presenting cell tears the corona virus and display some of its fragments on its surface A so called helper T cell may detect the fragment. If the fragment fits into one of its surface protein , the T cell becomes activated and can help recruit other immune cells to respond to the vaccine.

DOSING:-

The dosing regimen of COVAXIN between the first dose  and the second dose is of 4 weeks.

WHY TWO DOSES ARE REQUIRED ?

The two doses are required for the COVAXIN because , when the vaccine was first tested , a relative weak immune response was found within a few week . After getting the 2nd dose the trial study shows that the immune response against the corona virus became strong .

WHO SHOULD NOT TAKE "COVAXIN":-

- Those who have history of allergy 
- Those who have fever
- Those who have any bleeding disorder 
- Those who are taking medications which affects the immune system
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women
- Who have received another COVID-19 vaccine 
- Any  other health issues...

NOTE - Tell the vaccinator / officer supervising your vaccination about all of your medical conditions which are mentioned above..





 


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