Covaxin booster shot neutralises Omicron, Delta variants, says study

New Delhi, January 12

The booster dose of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has been shown to neutralise both the Omicron and Delta variants of concern of Sars-Cov 2 virus, a new study has concluded.

The soon to be published work shows that the booster of Covaxin (BBV152) generated robust neutralising antibody responses against Omicron (B.1.529) and Delta (B.1.617.2) using a live virus neutralisation assay, 100 per cent of test serum samples showed neutralisation of the Delta variant and more than 90 per cent of serum samples showed neutralisation of the Omicron variant.

These data add to the body of evidence that the broad-spectrum mechanism of action of a whole virus inactivated Covid-19 vaccine, like Covaxin, is a viable option in this continuously evolving pandemic, researchers said.

Earlier studies had demonstrated the neutralizing potential of Covaxin against other VOCs including Alpha, Beta, and Delta.

More than 90 per cent of all individuals boosted with Covaxin showed neutralising antibodies. All participants received an initial two-dose schedule of Covaxin on Day 0 and Day 28.

“As the dominant Covid-19 variant throughout the world, Omicron poses a serious public health concern,” said Mehul Suthar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Emory Vaccine Center and who led the laboratory analysis.

“Data from this preliminary analysis show individuals receiving a booster dose of Covaxin have a significant immune response to both the Omicron and Delta variants. These findings suggest that a booster dose has the potential to reduce disease severity and hospitalisations,” he said.