Covaxin Provides Protection Against Delta Plus Covid Variant: ICMR Study

Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, provides protection against Delta Plus (AY.1) variant of coronavirus, a new study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical and Research (ICMR) has stated.

In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) tagged B.1.617.2 strain as the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. The variant was identified as one of the drivers of the second wave of coronavirus infections that devastated the country earlier this year. The Delta variant then, mutated to form the Delta Plus or AY.1 variant. The Delta Plus variant was first detected in India in April 2021 and subsequently reported in 20 other countries.

"ICMR study shows #Covaxin is effective in Delta, Delta AY.1 and B.1.617.3 variants," the apex health research body said in a tweet on Monday.

According to ICMR, Covaxin, has been found to provide “65.2 per cent protection against the Delta variant in a double-blind, randomized, multicentre, phase 3 clinical trial”. Covaxin is a whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

"Here, we have evaluated the IgG antibody titer and neutralizing potential of sera of COVID-19 naive individuals full doses of BBV152 vaccine, COVID-19 recovered cases with full dose vaccines and breakthrough cases post-immunization BBV152 vaccines against Delta, Delta AY.1 and B.1.617.3.," the study said.

"The results of the study reveal Covaxin neutralises the Delta, Delta AY.1 and B.1.617.3 variants effectively," the ICMR stated.

The study has been published on biorxiv, a pre-print server and has not been peer reviewed.

Covaxin demonstrated 77.8 per cent effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 and 65.2 per cent protection against the B.1.617.2 Delta variant, Bharat Biotech had said while concluding the final analysis of Covaxin efficacy from Phase-3 trials on July 3.

(With PTI inputs)