Hyderabad-based Biological E's Corbevax can now be used as a precautionary dose for those who have already been given Covishield or Covaxin.
Corbevax is currently being used to inoculate children between 12 and 14 years under the Covid-19 immunisation programme. (Supplied)
The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday, 10 August, approved Hyderabad-based Biological E’s Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax as a precautionary dose for those above 18 years who are fully vaccinated with either Covishield or Covaxin.
With this development, Biological E’s vaccine became the first in India to be approved as a heterologous Covid-19 booster.
Corbevax is currently being used to inoculate children in the age group of 12-14 years under the Covid-19 immunisation programme.
The Covid-19 Working Group, in its 20 July meeting, reviewed data of the double-blind randomised phase-3 clinical study, which evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of the booster dose of Corbevax vaccine when administered to Covid-19-negative adult volunteers aged 18-80 years previously vaccinated with two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on 4 June approved Corbevax as a precaution for those aged 18 and above.
According to the Union Health Ministry, only 71 lakh out of the 4.89 crore target population aged 18 and above in Karnataka have taken their precautionary jab.
The ministry data also shows that 31 lakh out of 2.7 crore in Telangana, 97 lakh out of the 4.35 crore in Andhra Pradesh, 27 lakh out of 2.69 crore in Kerala, and 46 lakh out of 5.56 crore in Tamil Nadu have been jabbed with precautionary doses.
Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday urged the Centre to increase the supply of the Covid-19 vaccine to the state as it had stock for two more days.
He added that the demand for precautionary doses had increased after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 75-day free vaccination drive on 15 July.
The Union health minister on Wednesday said that more than states and Union Territories still have 7.09 crore unutilised vaccines.
India began administering precautionary doses of the Covid-19 vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities on 10 January.
The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 on March 16, and also removed the comorbidity clause, making all people aged above 60 eligible for the precautionary dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
India on 10 April began administering precautionary doses of Covid-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years.
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