A COVAXIN booster dose has protective efficacy against the Delta variant and the Omicron sub-variants BA.1.1 and BA.2, according to a recent published study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Institute of Virology (NIV), and Bharat Biotech.
The neutralising antibody response against variants of concern, such as Delta and Omicron, was found to be enhanced by the booster dosage of Covaxin. This is a promising study, according to Dr Samiran Panda, additional director-general of the ICMR.
The findings are based on a study conducted on animals and it will be followed up in humans as well. The study was conducted earlier but it took time to get published as per the protocol, Dr Panda said.
The ICMR-NIV study was published as a pre-print in bioRxiv
The ICMR-NIV study was published as a pre-print in bioRxiv on Tuesday under the title “Protective efficacy of Covaxin against Delta and Omicron variants in the hamster model.”
Researchers from the NIV and Bharat Biotech analysed the protective efficacy of COVAXIN following second- and third-dose immunisations against the Delta variant, and studied the efficacy of the same vaccine against Omicron variants in a Syrian hamster model.
The antibody response, clinical observations, viral load reduction and lung disease severity after the virus challenge were studied. Protective responses in terms of the reduction in the lung viral load and lung lesions were observed in both the second and third doses in a Covaxin-immunised group compared to a placebo group following the Delta variant challenge, the study’s authors have said in the report.
In the Delta infection study, researchers compared the protective responses between the second- and third-dose regimens and said they could observe the advantage of the booster dose vaccination. Although the neutralising antibody levels were comparable among the groups, lung disease severity was found more reduced after the third dose.
In the second study, in which the protective response was assessed against Omicron sub-variants BA.1 and BA.2 after three doses of vaccination, the test cases reported less virus shedding, a low lung viral load and lung disease severity.
The immunity generated by the natural infection or vaccination tends to wane with time, and according to the study authors, newly evolving variants also pose challenges to acquired immunity with their immune-escape properties. This underlines the importance of constant monitoring of the virus’s genomic changes and the properties of the evolving variants, the researchers have said.
Covaxin Booster: Vaccine Booster have shown to improve the efficacy of many Covid-19 Vaccines in Clinical Trials
Booster doses have shown to improve the efficacy of many Covid-19 vaccines in clinical trials and have been authorised by many countries.
COVAXIN is an inactivated, whole-virion vaccine licensed in India and 13 other countries. It has shown immunogenicity and protective efficacy against the coronavirus’s B.1 variant possessing the D614G mutation in laboratory animal studies. With the emergence of coronavirus variants, multiple in-vitro studies were conducted to understand the neutralisation potential of the Covaxin-induced immune responses.
The neutralisation potential has been demonstrated with the Alpha, Kappa, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants of the virus. But the neutralising antibody titres against the variants of concern were found reduced in comparison to the ancestral B.1 variant. Among these variants, Omicron was least effectively neutralised in the in-vitro assay. According to the study findings, researchers have said that Covaxin will enhance vaccine effectiveness against Delta-variant infection and protect against Omicron variants BA.1.1 and BA.2.
Note: The aforementioned article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for qualified medical guidance. For any concerns you might have about your health or a medical issue, always seek the advice of your doctor or another certified health expert.
