Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine -- Covaxin -- is able to provide immunity against the infection for nine to 12 months, according to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
AIIMS carried out some mathematical calculations to arrive at this conclusion, Pharmaceutical Technology reported.
AIIMS Bhopal and Jammu president YK Gupta said to media: “Covaxin was approved for emergency use and the data from Phase I and Phase II trials, and the ongoing Phase III trials, suggest that it is safe and effective, and by March-end tentatively, the data from Phase III trials will be available to establish its efficacy.”
“The vaccine is being given to lakhs of people, and there are hardly any serious side-effects. No death has been caused by Covaxin so far,” he added.
Covaxin’s approval in India has drawn criticism as the Centre gave it a green signal before publishing Phase III trial data. Last week, the Chhattisgarh Health Minister had also raised concerns over the vaccine’s efficacy, as per media reports.
According to the Print report, the final efficacy rate of the Bharat Biotech vaccine is yet to be ascertained.
The World Health Organization has set a 50 per cent efficacy benchmark for all the vaccines developed against the coronavirus. Covaxin’s efficacy rate will likely be published this month.
Covaxin is a two-dose vaccine, with the second dose required to be given 28 days after the first one.