Which Indian Covid-19 Vaccine Is Better And Why? 

Overview 

Vaccines are among the overriding topics worldwide. Being a citizen of India, we are conscious about which one to choose. Which Indian covid vaccine is better? India has become the powerhouse of covid vaccine manufacturers and produces approximately 60% of the overall production of vaccines worldwide. 

The superiority can be seen by giving a glance at a large amount of contribution to the neighboring countries. On an average of several millions of free doses of vaccines, the country has shipped as a gift, just after less than a week after bringing out the world’s largest vaccination drive. 

In other words, it’s been widely recounted as “vaccine diplomacy”.

 

What Are The Indian Covid Vaccines?

India’s manufacturer has given consent to Covidshield, the local name given to the oxford AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. And the Covaxin, made by Bharat Biotech, a pharma company. 

The question may trigger you, what to choose, after all, both will work on the same principle. But yet to know more. Well, there have been plenty of rumors and miscommunication about vaccines. 

Also read: Covid vaccines available in the USA 

As the covid program has started on 16 January, and the days after head, the vaccine has been globing around social media. As we know, the rumors spread more swiftly than the reality. 

Rumors: The Vaccine Will Make You Ineffective 

This is claimed by a politician of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh but provided no evidence at all. 

Ashutosh Sinha, a member of the opposite Samajwadi party, declared that vaccines may be harmful, and can make you ineffective or feeble. Contrarily, Akhilesh Yadav said in a response that till now there is no evidence that vaccines will make you impotent or weak. Also, the drug regulators have been labeled these rumors and claimed as rubbish.  

They said that vaccines may have some mild symptoms such as fever, a little cold, or cough, but these signs are considered healthy. 

What About The Covaxin?  

Covaxin is India’s indigenous vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech with the collaboration of the Indian council of medical research(ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology(NIV). The vaccine has been developed with the whole virion inactivated Vero cell technology.  

The vaccines are inactivated forms of the virus or the original pathogen and do not cause any pathological symptoms. But instruct the immune system to produce defensive mechanisms against the actual infection, by counteracting with the partially killed pathogen. 

The defense mechanism created help in acquiring the antibodies against viruses. 

Bharat biotech has said that it has a reservoir of 20 million doses of vaccine, and aiming to stretch it up to 700 million by the end of the year. 

Controversy About Covaxin 

The controversy has started when the regulator said that it has been approved for the restricted use in an emergency, in public favor, and as a general precaution, in the clinical trial phase. Specifically in the context of the infection due to mutant strain. 

The experts were amazed at the statement that how could any vaccine be turned for emergency cases when the trials are undergoing. 

The manufacturer and drug dealer said that Covaxin is a safe and effective vaccine that instantly boosts immunity. 

The all-India drug action network opposed the statement that “how could someone approve the efficacy of vaccines with an incomplete study”. It said that there is enough concern arising because of the absence of accurate data. 

Bharat Biotech took the lead and defended the approval. It said that the Indian clinical laws allowed the accelerated authorization for the use of drug and second phase trials. And it has declared to provide the data by February.  

What About Covidshield?

 

Covidshield is manufactured by Serum Institute of India, the largest provider of vaccines worldwide. The name Covidsield is given locally at the place of oxford AstraZeneca. It has been providing about 50 million doses a month.

The Covidshield is the weekend version of a common cold virus(adenovirus). It is modified to look like coronavirus, though it won’t cause the illness.  

When taken by a person, it allows the defense system to strengthen itself and produce antibodies. 

It is administered in two phases, in a gap of 4 to 12 weeks. It is stored in a temperature range from 2-8 C, which makes it easier to distribute among other countries. 

The doses developed by Pfizer, which is currently administered in several countries, need to be stored at -70C and quite difficult to be moved to other places.

How Effective Is Covidshield? 

International trials have shown that when the candidates were given full doses, the efficacy hit 90%. 

But there is not enough data to prove the exact scenario of half and full dose. However, the uncirculated data suggest that leaving a long interval between both doses of vaccine, increased the overall efficacy of the vaccine. 

Serum Institute has stated Covidshield as highly effective and clinical trials involved three phases to determine, whether the vaccine is effective enough to bring out immune response, or have some side effects. 

Which Indian Covid Vaccine Is Better? 

Covaxin V/s Covidshield 

Age limit:- There are no such differences between these two and also the candidates are not given the option to choose one. However, the vaccine of SII is approved for 18 years old or above, while the Bharat Biotech vaccine is approved for 12 years old or above. 

Efficacy:- The SII both doses are described as 62% effective and the Bharat Biotech is yet to publish the data from the third trial. 

Manufacture:- Both the vaccines, Covaxin, and Covidshield are made in India. But SII has an exclusive license from oxford university to manufacture and distribute in India as well as in other countries. 

Storage:- Both the vaccines must be stored at 2-8 C in order to prevent deterioration, and are easy to distribute in other countries. Hence, it makes the safety and efficacy in line. 

Mode of administration:- Both Covaxin and Covidshield are given intramuscularly. 

Conclusion 

Which Indian covid vaccine is better is one of the most frequent questions in everybody’s mind. Till now there is no such evidence that will prove which vaccine is better, as of now, both vaccines have the most similarity.

The method of preparation may be different but both work on the same principle, by inducing the defense mechanism in the body. When Covaxin is produced by Bharat Biotech, Covidshield is produced by the Serum Institute of India. There have been rumors on the efficacy and safety of Covaxin, but soon it was cleared out by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, about the potency of the vaccine.

Covaxin being India’s indigenous vaccine, ruling out the manufacture of doses, and about to produce 700 million doses a month. Covidshield on the other hand has an exclusive license to distribute the vaccine across India, and in other countries as well. one should not be scared about how effective is Covaxin or how effective is Covidshield, but rather to take the benefit for those who have comorbidity conditions. 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Who should be vaccinated first for COVID-19 vaccine?

Covid -19 vaccination should be prioritized for those who are at high risk of getting the infection such as front-line workers and old age people above 60. This strategy also favors the limited stocks of vaccination. Therefore, the highly susceptible people should be given priority to get vaccinated.

Can I take Covishield after 6 weeks?

If four weeks have passed after the first dose, the second dose can be taken whenever possible until 6 months. Vaccine doses are safe irrespective of when they are taken but won’t provide any boosting if given within less than a month of the previous dose.

When will Pfizer vaccine come to India?

Pfizer is hoping to be available by July in India according to the central government of India.

Can I still get Covid after the vaccine?

Yes, you can get covid after the vaccine, as vaccines only boost your immunity and help in preparing antibodies against the particular pathogen. Well, you may get an infection even after vaccination, but the chances of any severe infection reduce once you have taken the dose. So, don’t worry about your infection and take the dose, in case you got an infection you will recover soon.

Is the COVID-19 vaccine free in India?

Yes, the covid-19 vaccine is free in India for the eligible population in all the government covid centers, those who are receiving vaccines from the government of India.

Is Covaxin not Recognised for international travel?

Covaxin has not been included in the emergency use yet, as per the reports. This is why the vaccine beneficiaries vaccinated with both doses of covaxin might not be allowed to travel internationally.

Is the Pfizer vaccine safe for kids?

Yes, Pfizer is safe for kids and has been approved for kids 12 or above. And the Moderna also says that it’s safe for kids as well.

Is the Pfizer vaccine safe for kids?

Covid -19, in which “co” stands for corona, “vi” stands for the virus, and “d” stands for disease. This disease is referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus. The new virus covid-19 is linked to the same class of the viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and some types of the common cold.

Who issued the official name of COVID-19?

The name COVID-19 and SARS-COV-2 were issued by the World Health Organization on 11 February 2020.

Is Covid still a pandemic?

Covid -19 is still a pandemic with a high caseload and several cases with the continuous mutations of the specific virus. A pandemic takes a time interval of a few years to diminish or reduce its cases.