Covaxin, India’s indigenous vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech is absolutely safe to use and meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards, declared S. Eswara Reddy, Joint Drugs Controller, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
Reddy while speaking at the JITO Professional Forum said that as per WHO the minimum efficacy of any vaccine should be 50 per cent, and if it is so then it is good to use. Reddy added, “We assure that the vaccine is safe and the efficacy (of Covaxin) is to the satisfaction.”
He further clarified that government is keeping a close watch on all those who are receiving the vaccine dose with a robust programme built to monitor the beneficiaries. Vaccination is crucial to break the chain of transmission of the virus.
Speaking on the immunity of the vaccine, he said, “It is clearly not known as to how long the immunity will last (for these vaccines).” However, the vaccines are expected to give lifelong immunity.
Citing the data involved in Covaxin approval, he said that the Phase 3 trials involved 24,000 subjects; and for Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the government has UK's Phase 3 efficacy data.
Reddy also pointed out that India has the capabilities to develop 2 billion vaccine doses per annum, not only to meet domestic demands but also export the vaccine to other countries. Stressing on the efficacy of the vaccines, he said that all procedures were adhered to in the vaccination drive.
G.C. Khilnani, Chairman, pulmonary and critical care and sleep medicine, at the PSRI Hospital in Delhi was also a speaker at the event. He said that normally it takes 8 to 10 years to develop a vaccine. The Indian Covid vaccine's Phase 2 and 3 trials were combined, due to which the vaccine could be prepared in nine months.
