India To Make 8 Covid-19 Vaccines Available By Year-End: Here's Everything You Should Know

Niti Aayog Member (Health) Dr Vinod Kumar Paul assured availability of vaccines for all and around 216 crore vaccine doses would be made become available between August and December.

Image: PTI

Covid Vaccine Update: India has been trying to secure and enhance the availability of Covid-19 vaccines, and the government on Thursday noted that India will have enough doses to inoculate all citizens by December. Niti Aayog Member (Health) Dr Vinod Kumar Paul assured availability of vaccines for all and around 216 crore vaccine doses would be made become available between August and December.

Paul also mentioned about availability of eight vaccines and the number of doses for each that are likely to be available in the country by December end.

Since the pandemic began last year, several vaccine candidates are undergoing various phases of pre-clinical and clinical trial stages. So far, there are 115 candidates and 14 approved vaccines, as per the Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker.

The vaccination drive in the country kickstarted on January 16 with Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield.

India’s vaccination drive will get a major boost as the government has issued emergency use authorisation to eight vaccine makers including Biological E, Zydus Cadila, Serum Institute of India for Novavax, Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine, Gennova, and Sputnik V.

What you should know about the eight pharma companies and their availability?

Covaxin:  It is an inactivated vaccine — which means that it is made up of killed coronaviruses, making it safe to be injected into the body. Inactivated viruses are mixed with a tiny amount of an aluminum-based compound called an adjuvant which stimulates the immune system to boost its response to a vaccine. Covaxin has been developed by Hyderabad-based biotechnology firm Bharat Biotech and clinical research body Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).  Trial results have shown the vaccine has an efficacy of 78 per cent. On taking the jab, it propels the immune system to make antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Availability Status: Bharat Biotech will be providing 55 crore doses of Covaxin and 10 crore doses of its nasal vaccine.

Biological E: Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Biological E Limited (BE) received emergency authorisation for its protein subunit BECOV2A vaccine. Its candidate includes an antigen developed by Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and in-licensed from BCM Ventures, Baylor College of Medicine’s integrated commercialization team, along with Dynavax Technologies Corporation's advanced adjuvant CpG 1018TM. The vaccination schedule consisted of two doses for each study participant, administered via intramuscular injection 28 days apart. The availability of Biological E’s vaccine will depend largely on the data from its clinical trial

Availability Status: Biological E is expected to produce 30 crore doses between August and December.

Covishield: Covishield, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees. It has been modified to look more like coronavirus – although it can’t cause illness, as per BBC report.  This cold virus is basically incapable of infecting the receiver but can very well teach the immune system to prepare a mechanism against such viruses.

The exact technology was used to prepare vaccines for viruses like Ebola. It also follows a two-dose regimen, administered 28 days apart.

Availability Status:  Over 75 crore doses will be made available by the SII between August and December.

Sputnik V: Sputnik V, also known as Gam-Covid-Vac, is a combination of two different adenoviruses (Ad26 and Ad5). According to a leading peer-reviewed medical journal The BMJ, the adenoviruses — viruses that cause the common cold — are combined with the SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) spike protein, which prompts the body to make an immune response to it.

Availability Status: Around 15.6 crore doses will be available in India by December.

Zydus Cadila: ZyCoV-D is a ‘DNA vaccine’ that works against the major viral membrane protein, responsible for the novel coronavirus’ entry into body cells. It is based on plasmid DNA, a small, circular and extrachromosomal bacterial DNA, used in genetic engineering. The plasmid DNA has the unique property of self-replication, owing to which it can be used in different kinds of molecular genetic research, such as gene therapy, gene transfer and recombinant DNA technology, as per the report in Print. Zydus Cadila will “soon apply for licensure” for its DNA vaccine candidate that is currently in the last phase 3 trial.

Availability Status: It will be providing 5 crore of its vaccine for the inoculation drive by December. 

Novavax: The vaccine will be rolled out in India which is made by the United State-based vaccine maker Novavax in partnership with vaccine manufacturer Serum Insititute of India. Known as protein subunit covid-19 vaccine NVX-CoV2373 named Covovax, the vaccine relies on what is called recombinant nanoparticle technology and Novavax's adjuvant, called Matrix-M, to stimulate an immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies, according to CNN report.

Doses to be available: As per the government, the SII will provide 20 crore doses of Novavax by December.

Gennova: Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals’s indigenous mRNA vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA) called HGCO19, carrying the genetic sequence for building the spike protein. The biotech company from Pune has collaborated with Seattle-based HDT Biotech Corporation, which will supply adjuvant that boosts the efficacy of the vaccine. Gennova’s mRNA vaccine candidate will also be seeking licensure.

Availability Status: Gennova is expected to roll out 6 crore doses by December, as per the government.