In a major development, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) today said that mixing and matching of Covid vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield showed better results, reported news agency ANI.
The study revealed, “Immunization with a combination of an adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine followed by inactivated whole virus vaccine was not only safe but also elicited better immunogenicity.”
Amid, the fear of a third wave and the emergence of the delta plus variant, an earlier study by India’s premier health agency had said that Bharat Biotech’s coronavirus vaccine Covaxin is effective against the Delta Plus variant of the SARS CoV2 virus. However, the study is yet to be peer-reviewed.
Study on mixing & matching of COVID vaccines, Covaxin&Covishield shows better result: ICMR
Immunization with combination of an adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine followed by inactivated whole virus vaccine was not only safe but also elicited better immunogenicity: Study pic.twitter.com/wDVZ6Q2TvU
— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2021
Covid-19 vaccines in India
US pharma giant Johnson and Johnson single dose Covid-19 vaccine Janssen became the fifth vaccine to gets Emergency Use Approval (EUA) by the government of India. This will be the fifth Covid-19 vaccine to get approval after Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V and Moderna in India.
Meanwhile, more than 52.37 Crore vaccine doses provided to States/UTs
The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain.
As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75% of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.