Covaxin shots ‘effective’ against new UK strain

New Delhi, January 27

Made-in-India Covaxin works against the Covid strain circulating in India as well as the new UK mutant, a research has shown.

The landmark peer-reviewed research by ICMR scientists shows the mutant will not escape the grip of ICMR-Bharat Biotech made Covaxin, currently being used in the national Covid vaccination drive.

“This dispels all uncertainties around whether or not Covaxin will work if the virus mutates,” says the research. Sera collected from Covaxin recipients neutralised the UK variants, the scientists say.

“The UK variant of the Sars-Cov2 with all its signature mutations was isolated and cultured in the world successfully for the first time at ICMR’s lab National Institute of Virology, Pune,” ICMR chief Balram Bhargava said. — TNS