Covid Vaccines in India

---

COVID-19 infection is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. This type of virulent coronavirus has never been seen before, making it even harder to get rid of it. You can quickly get COVID-19 through contact with another person who has the virus. It is predominantly a respiratory illness that has the potential to affect other organs. People with COVID-19 may experience a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe, appearing 2-14 days after getting exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Symptoms may include cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath; fatigue; body aches; headache, loss of smell or taste, sore throat, nasal congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.  

COVAXIN (BBV152) is an inactivated (SARS-COV-2) virus-based covid vaccine. It has been developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research & the National Institute of Virology.

Type of Vaccine: The vaccine is developed using Whole-Virion Inactivated Vero Cell-derived platform technology. While getting a shot of Covaxin, you are getting injected with actual SARS-COV-2 virus particles, which are inactivated.

An inactivated vaccine is developed by inactivating (killing) the live micro-organisms responsible for the disease. This process destroys the pathogen's ability to replicate. However, it can still be recognised by T-cells and B-cells of our immune system, hence producing an immune response. 

The T-cells are responsible for producing memory T-cells that remember the antibodies required to fend off the particular virus. These cells make our body better prepared to fight off future infections.

Covaxin is a traditional vaccine. Many other vaccines have been developed this way, such as those against Hepatitis A, Influenza, Polio, and Rabies.

A prevalent misconception that is circulating is that as the vaccine contains the virus, there is a chance that you can get COVID from the vaccine. However this could not be more untrue. As stated before, the virus in the vaccine is inactivated; in other words, it is dead. It is not possible to get COVID from this dead virus.

Efficacy: In India, COVAXIN has been proven to be 81% effective in preventing COVID-19 in those without prior infection after the injection of two doses.

Covishield (AZD1222) is a viral vector vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. Covishield has been developed by Oxford University in association with pharma major AstraZeneca. Serum Institute of India is the manufacturing & trial partner for this covid vaccine in India.

Type of Vaccine: 

A viral vector vaccine, as its name suggests, uses a viral vector to deliver genetic material coding for the desired antigen into the recipient's host cells. The vector being used is a modified version of the Chimpanzee adenovirus.

The viral vector is a weakened version of the adenovirus that contains the spike protein's genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2. The spike proteins on the virus are among its most defining characteristics and help the virus penetrate the host cells. So essentially, the vaccine leads to the production of just the spike proteins. It tricks our body into thinking that it is infected with the virus as detected by the T-cells and B-cells of our immune system. Hence it triggers the production of specific antibodies, which better prepare our body if it is affected.The Covishield Vaccine does not contain SARS-CoV-2 and cannot give you COVID-19 infection.

Efficacy: 

The vaccine is 76.0% effective against the virus after 22 days of the first dose and is 81.3% effective after the second dose.

Neither covid vaccines in india will give you COVID-19, but they do not make you completely immune to the disease as well. Getting the vaccines does not mean that other precautions related to COVID-19 need not be followed.

It is safe to get either Covaxin or Covishield. The only difference is that Covishield uses adenovirus to make the spike protein present on the surface of coronavirus, whereas Covaxin is using actual coronavirus.

Each vaccine is promising. The mechanisms of the vaccine may be different. Still, they serve the same goal, minimizing the chances of hospitalization and death.

HENCE, TAKE ANY VACCINE!!! 

Do not delay it!! Do not be scared!!