Covovax Better Booster For Covishield-Vaccinated People Than Same Jab: Virologist

Covovax, developed by US-based vaccine maker Novavax Inc and manufactured by Serum Institute of India, was approved by the government for emergency use on Monday.

The central drug authority, CDSCO, approved Covovax on Monday (PTI)

New Delhi: Virologist Dr Shahid Jameel said Covovax would be a better booster dose for those who have been administered Covishield vaccine than another dose of the same jab.

"Data available at this time suggests that of the vaccines approved in India, Covovax would be a better booster in Covishield-vaccinated people than another dose of Covishield," Jameel, the former head of the advisory group to the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (INSACOG), told PTI.

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Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a "precaution dose" would be administered for healthcare and frontline workers and citizens above 60 years of age and with comorbidities from January 10.

Such beneficiaries will be eligible for the booster dose after completion of nine months i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose.

Officials have, however, said the "precaution dose" will be a third dose of the same vaccine that a person has taken previously, PTI reported.

Covovax, developed by US-based vaccine maker Novavax Inc and manufactured by Serum Institute of India, was approved by the government for emergency use on Monday.

Noted virologist Gagandeep Kang, in an interview to news portal 'The Wire', said there was presently no data in India regarding which vaccine should be used for the third dose.

Kang said a UK study recently gauged the immune response generated in individuals who had already received two doses of the AstraZeneca (Covishield) vaccine by either a booster dose of the same vaccine or one of the Novavax (known in India as Covovax) vaccine.

The study found that a third dose of Covishield increased the Geometric Mean Ratio (GMR) by 3.25, while a booster dose of Covovax increased the same by eight times and one of an mRNA vaccine did so by 24 times, she said.

India has recorded more than 800 Omicron cases across 21 states and Union territories so far.