Covaxin ‘effective’ in neutralising UK variant of Covid-19: Study

Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, Covaxin, ‘effectively neutralises’ the UK variant of the coronavirus, says a research study.

Covaxin also reduces the possibility of mutant virus escape, the findings of the study said in a preprint article which has not been peer reviewed.

The researchers performed the plaque reduction neutralisation test using sera collected from 26 recipients of Covaxin against Covid-19’s India and UK variants.

“Comparable neutralisation activity of sera of the vaccinated individuals showed against UK-variant and the heterologous strain with similar efficiency, dispel the uncertainty of possible neutralisation escape,” the paper said.

Covaxin is now undergoing Phase III trials in India even as it is being administered to healthcare workers as part of emergency use.