MoS Health Tells Rajya Sabha :Increase in Antibodies Post Covaxin Booster Dose

New Delhi: An ICMR study to examine the effect of Covaxin's booster dose has shown an increase in the levels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

International data available on booster doses of AstraZeneca and Covishield suggests a three- to four-fold increase in antibody levels after their administration, Pawar said in a written reply. 

Also Read:Covishield - Covaxin Combo Provides Greater Immunity says ICMR

"A study has been conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to examine the effect of booster dose of Covaxin which shows increase in the levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 after the booster dose," Pawar stated.

As per the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), precaution dose is administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people aged 60 years and above since January 10,2022, she said.

As on March 24, 2022, 2.21 crore precaution doses against COVID-19 have been administered.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier published that Bharat Biotech a pioneering biotechnology company said it, along with its partner Ocugen, is fully committed to bringing COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin in the US and Canada for all age groups. In a statement issued on Twitter, the Hyderabad-based vaccine major said Ocugen's Phase 2/3 Investigational Drug Application for Covaxin has been recently cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration(USFDA) for conducting clinical trials in adults. 

"Ocugen intends to continue working with FDA to evaluate regulatory pathways for the pediatric use of Covaxin," it added.

On March 4, Ocugen Inc had announced that the USFDA has declined to issue a EUA for Covaxin for active immunisation to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals -- 2 to 18 years of age.

Also Read:Cabinet nods for Memorandum of Understanding between the ICMR and NIAID of National Institute of Health of Department of Health and Human Services, USA for medical research