Covaxin is efficient against Delta variant: ICMR study

According to a research published in the biorxiv by the Indian Council of Medical and Research (ICMR), Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin (BBV152) is effective against the Delta Plus (AY.1) variant of the coronavirus.

“Here, we have evaluated the IgG antibody titer and neutralizing potential of sera of Covid-19 naïve individuals full doses of BBV152 vaccine, Covid-19 recovered cases with full dose vaccines and breakthrough post-immunization BBV152 vaccines against Delta, Delta AY.1 and B.1.617.3,” the study said.

The second wave in India has been triggered by the recent appearance of the Sars-CoV-2 variation B.1.617.2 (Delta) form, which is highly transmissible.

Covaxin, a whole-virion inactivated Sars-CoV-2 vaccine used for mass immunization in the country, showed a 65.2 % protection against the Delta variant in a double-blind, randomized, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial.

Subsequently, Delta has further, mutated to Delta AY.1, AY.2 and AY.3.

Of these, AY.1 variant was first detected in India in April 2021 and subsequently from 20 other countries as well, the study said.

The study is a pre-print and has not been peer reviewed.

Covaxin demonstrated 77.8 % effectiveness against symptomatic Covid-19 and 65.2% protection against the B.1.617.2 Delta variant, Bharat Biotech had said while concluding the final analysis of Covaxin efficacy from Phase 3 trials on July 3.