Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech on Wednesday claimed that the booster shot of the Covid vaccine is capable of neutralizing both Omicron and Delta Variants of Covid-19, with over 90% of the test serum samples showing neutralization of Omicron.
The Omicron variant, first reported from South Africa in late November last year, has triggered a fresh wave of infections worldwide.
The study was conducted at the Emory Vaccine Centre in Atlanta (US) by Ocugen, a partner of the Indian vaccine maker as part of ongoing phase 2 clinical trials during which immune sera were analyzed from 13 trial participants, 28 days after their booster jabs.
The participants had been administered the booster shots six months after their full vaccination with two primary doses.
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The company said in a statement that sera samples from individuals who received a booster of Covaxin were observed to be effective in neutralizing Omicron and Delta variants on a live virus neutralization assay and its neutralization activity was comparable to what has been observed in mRNA vaccine-boosted sera against the Omicron variant.
“As the dominant Covid variant throughout the world, Omicron poses a serious public health concern,” said Mehul Suthar, assistant professor, Emory Vaccine Center, who led the laboratory analysis.
“Data from this preliminary analysis show individuals receiving a booster dose of Covaxin have a significant immune response to both the Omicron and Delta variants. These findings suggest that a booster dose has the potential to reduce disease severity and hospitalizations.”
Krishna Ella, CMD of the Hyderabad-based company said that the positive neutralization responses against the Omicron and Delta variants validate their hypothesis of a multi-epitope vaccine generating both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses.
The findings from the ongoing trial are about to be released on a pre-print repository of medical science.
