Covaxin offers protection from the Delta and Beta variants of SARS-CoV-2, researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Virology-Pune and Bharat Biotech have claimed in a pre-print work.
B.1.617.2 aka Delta is reported as the coronavirus variant primarily responsible for the Covid-19 second wave in the country. The virus sub-lineage showing high infection transmissibility was classified as a Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization last week.
B.1.351 or Beta is another Variant of Concern reported in India, which is known to be showing lesser response to several approved vaccines.
To assess the efficacy of Covaxin, presently in public use, against B.1.351 and B.1.617.2, the ICMR-NIV and Bharat Biotech investigators have evaluated the neutralisation potential of sera collected from 20 Covid-19 recovered patients (post 5-20 weeks of infection) and 17 individuals 28 days after they received two doses of Covaxin, and compared with the prototype B.1 (D614G) variant.
The results of the limited sample study have appeared in bioRxiv, a preprint host, and are yet to be peer reviewed.
The study has demonstrated a reduction in neutralisation titers with sera of Covid-19 recovered cases (3.3-fold and 4.6-fold) and BBV152 vaccines (3. 0 and 2.7 fold) against B.1.351 and B.1.617.2 respectively.
“Although, there is a reduction in neutralisation titer, Covaxin demonstrates a protective response against B.1351 and B.1.617.2,” Dr Pragya Yadav of ICMR-NIV, Pune and corresponding author of the study said.
The indigenously developed BBV152 or Covaxin resulted from a joint collaboration between the ICMR-NIV and Bharat Biotech last year.
Covaxin is a whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, which requires BSL-3 facilities.
Published 09 June 2021, 17:28 IST