COVID-19 Notes
By Dr Satish K Gupta*
India starts vaccination of children 12 -14 years of age from today, March 16, 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has called this day an important day in India’s efforts to vaccinate its citizens. “Now onwards, youngsters in the 12-14 age group are eligible for vaccines and all those above 60 are eligible for precaution doses. I urge people in these age groups to get vaccinated,” he stated.
Guidelines
Only the Corbevax vaccine would be used for the beneficiaries of this age group. 0.5ml Intramuscular 28 days apart.
Corbevax was accorded Emergency Use Authorization in February 2022 as a COVID-19 vaccine and is available for consumption only in India. It is yet to be approved by other international agencies like World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Corbevax, developed by the Hyderabad-based Biological E. Ltd in collaboration with the Texas Children’s Hospital Centre for Vaccine Development and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, is India’s first indigenously developed protein subunit vaccine against Covid-19.
Corbevax stands on the same platform as the hepatitis shot, and acellular pertussis. Biological E has a specialization in making such products. It is tried and tested platform unlike mRNA and Vector-based vaccines.
Efficacy
The vaccine had an effectiveness of over 90 per cent against the original Wuhan strain of the novel coronavirus and was more than 80 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic infections with the Delta variant. Yet to be tested against omicron.
The cheapest vaccine in the world
The vaccine would be effective both in scale and affordability, providing sustainable access to low-and middle-income countries. Presently it is the cheapest vaccine available in India with its *two shots expected to be cumulatively priced at below Rs 400*.
Covishield costs about Rs 300-Rs 400 for a single dose while the Russian Sputnik V costs around Rs 1,000. Covaxin costs about Rs 1,400 for its two doses.
How many children will benefit?
Around 7.11 crore children will be vaccinated under the new age group. Biological E Ltd has supplied 5 crore doses of Corbevax to the Centre and the vaccine has been distributed to states.
Vaccination of children is a welcome move at a time when schools are opening up.
Why only Corbevax in Children?
The Centre has not given any specific reason behind the decision to use only Corbevax for this age group. But safety, availability, cost and equitable use of various vaccines could be various reasons.
Corbevax is understood to be safe.
It may be noted that children aged 15 to 17 years are already being administered only Covaxin, the inactivated virus-based vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech. While for more than 18 years Covishiled was used in more than 85%cases.
Scientific facts about Corbevax
Corbevax is a “recombinant protein sub-unit” vaccine, developed from a component of the spike protein on the virus’s surface, which helps the body build the immune response against the virus
The vaccine has the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein as an antigen, and also an optimum adjuvant consisting of Dynavax (DVAX) CpG 1018 and alum.
Though like other vaccines, Corbevax targets the spike protein on the virus particle’s surface. However, instead of instructing cells to replicate them, the vaccine injects a small volume of cloned spike proteins grown in a lab.
The immune system recognises these proteins as a threat and develops a response accordingly, ultimately, reducing the ability of the live virus to infect cells and cause serious disease.
Timeline of Corbevax
September 2021, Biological E received approval to conduct a Phase II/III clinical trial on Corbevax in children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years. Based on the no-objection certificate, Biological E initiated the clinical study in October 2021 and evaluated the available safety and immunogenicity results of the ongoing phase II/III study, which indicated that the vaccine is safe and immunogenic. The company was accorded Emergency use Authorization in February 2021
Side effects of Corbevax
Vaccines approved for more than 12 years in India
A handful of vaccines have been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for use in children above 12 years – Covovax (the Novavax vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India),
ZyCoV-D (Zydus Lifesciences), and Covaxin (Bharat Biotech)* apart from *Biological E’s receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein subunit vaccine Corbevax.
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*Dr. Satish K Gupta is an MD in Medicines, a Visiting Senior Consultant Physician and Internist at Max Super Speciality Hospital, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at GS Medical College, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut. He is the author of Journey of COVID in India: A Doctor’s Perspective.
