Disappointing Update about India’s COVID-19 Vaccine

Hyderabad-based company Bharat Biotech along with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology, Pune are working on India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, COVAXIN.

The vaccine is in its third phase trial and Bharat Biotech on Sunday revealed that the vaccine is expected to be 60% efficacious, and certainly more than 50%. This is a cause of concern as things stand today COVAXIN is the only affordable vaccine for mass distribution in India.

Three vaccines which are at the advanced stage across the globe have claimed more than 90% efficiency. 50-60% efficiency is disappointing for sure. COVAXIN will also take more time to get ready. The vaccine will be rolled out around June 2021 for distribution, after securing all the necessary approvals, the company revealed.

The company also revealed that a participant of Covaxin’s phase I trial had developed an adverse reaction to receiving the vaccine, in August. Buzz is that he is a 35-year-old with no comorbidities. He was hospitalized with viral pneumonitis, a couple of days after being administered the vaccine. He was discharged after a week’s stay in the hospital.