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COVAXIN

It is India’s only indigenous Covid-19 vaccine.
Produced By:
Developed by Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology, Pune

Constituents and Action:

• It is an inactivated vaccine which is developed by inactivating (killing) the live microorganisms that cause the disease.
• This destroys the ability of the pathogen to replicate, but keeps it intact so that the immune system can still recognise it and produce an immune response.
• It is expected to target more than just the spike protein.
• It also aims to develop an immune response to the nucleocapsid protein (the shell of the virus that encloses its genetic material).

Significance:

• COVAXIN is more likely to work against newer variants of the virus, including the UK variant, as it contains immunogens (epitopes) from other genes in addition to those from Spike protein.
• Immunogen is a stimulus that produces a humoral or cell-mediated immune response, whereas antigens are any substance that binds specifically to an antibody.
• All immunogens are antigens, but all antigens may not be immunogens.
• Approval of COVAXIN ensures India has an additional vaccine shield especially against potential mutant strains in a dynamic pandemic situation.

SOURCE:PIB,THE ECONOMIC TIMES