Coronavirus: India's Covaxin found to be 81% effective against Covid-19 in phase 3 trials

A handout photo by Bangalore Kempegowda International Airport showing the arrival of Covid-19 vaccine in Bangalore, India. EPA

Officials arrange boxes containing vials of Covishield, a coronavirus vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, after a consignment of the vaccines arrived from the western city of Pune for its distribution, inside a cold storage room at a vaccination storage centre in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters

Officials unload boxes containing vials of Covishield, a coronavirus vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, after a consignment of the vaccines arrived from the western city of Pune for its distribution, outside a vaccination storage centre in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters

Workers transfer carton boxes of a Covishield vaccine manufactured by Pune based Serum Institute of India (SII) that arrived in a lorry into the Karnataka Health Department cold storage facility in Bangalore, in preparation for the first round of vaccination drive scheduled to begin across the country from January 16. AFP

A health official carries Covid-19 vaccine boxes at a state vaccine storage centre in Bangalore, India. EPA

Policemen guard the entrance of the Karnataka Health Department cold storage centre as a vehicle carrying 648,000 vials of Covishield vaccine produced by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) arrives in Bangalore, in preparation for the first round of vaccination drive scheduled to begin across the country from January 16. AFP

A health official pretends to administer a shot of Covid-19 vaccine to a volunteer during a mock vaccination drill at a school, in Dharmsala, India. AP Photo

A health worker checks a syringe before performing a trial run of Covid-19 vaccine delivery system in Gawahati, India. AP Photo

A health worker performs a trial run of the Covid-19 vaccine delivery system in New Delhi, India. AP Photo

A transport vehicle ferries 648,000 vials of Covishield vaccine manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) to the Karnataka Health Department cold storage centre after the consignment arrived at Bangalore International Airport in Bangalore, in preparation for the first round of vaccination drive scheduled to begin across the country from January 16. AFP

A handout photo made available by Bangalore Kempegowda International Airport showing the arrival of Covid-19 vaccine in Bangalore, India. EPA

Covaxin, a vaccine made in India, was found to be 81 per cent effective against Covid-19 in phase three trials carried out by pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech.

In the trial results, the Hyderabad-based manufacturing company said the inactivated Covid-19 vaccine candidate demonstrated high protection against the virus.

The data was collated after 25,800 participants received the vaccine, or placebo, and responded well to the treatment.

Participants were aged between 18 to 98-years-old, including 2,433 over the age of 60 and 4,500 with comorbidities.

“Today is an important milestone in vaccine discovery, for science and our fight against coronavirus,” said Dr Krishna Ella, chairman and managing director at Bharat Biotech.

“With today’s results from our phase 3 clinical trials, we have now reported data on our Covid-19 vaccine from phase 1, 2, and 3 trials involving around 27,000 participants.

“Covaxin demonstrates high clinical efficacy trend against Covid-19 but also significant immunogenicity against the rapidly emerging variants.”

Principal investigators were located across 25 study sites and the trial marked the largest of its kind during the pandemic in India.

Trials were conducted in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research.

The Indian government backed the roll-out of the shot after Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, received the inoculation to dispel any hesitancy over the vaccine.

While the vaccine has been deemed safe, there are some associated side-effects associated with it including injection site pain, swelling, redness and itching, as well body aches, headache, fever and nausea.

Covaxin contains a whole virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, which is produced in Vero cells.

It is stable at 2°C to 8°C and is shipped in a ready-to-use liquid formulation that permits distribution using existing vaccine supply chain channels.