The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body for biomedical research said on Wednesday that Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin neutralises multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. Covaxin effectively neutralises the double mutant strain as well.
This ICMR statement comes on the day reports emerged of experts identifying a triple mutation, where three different COVID strains combine to form a new variant. Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal are believed to have cases caused by the triple mutant.
"ICMR study shows Covaxin neutralises against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 and effectively neutralises the double mutant strain as well," the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tweeted.
ICMR-National Institute of Virology has successfully isolated and cultured multiple variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 virus: B.1.1.7 (the UK variant), B.1.1.28 (Brazil variant ) and B.1.351 (South Africa variant), reported PTI.
The Bharat Biotech vaccine was granted Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19 treatment in India and several countries across the world.
Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech will produce 30 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, next month against 15 million doses in March to support vaccination campaign in the country, its chairman and managing director Krishna Ella said on Tuesday. The vaccine maker in a statement has said that the company has ramped up its production capacity of Covaxin to 700 million doses per annum.
From May 1, the government has opened vaccination for all people above 18 years of age. India has three vaccines Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V for its inoculation programme against COVID-19.
India on Tuesday recorded 295,041 new COVID19 cases and 2,023 deaths. The second wave of COVID in India has been very aggressive and fast-spreading.
