Need Not Change Covaxin Composition, Efficacy Against Variants Good: Centre

There are four mutations of the COVID-19 virus in India at present -- two UK variants and one South African and Brazilian variant each, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey said.

The need to change the composition of Covaxin has not been felt yet in view of good efficacy of the vaccine against mutant variants, the government told Lok Sabha Friday. There are four mutations of the COVID-19 virus in India at present -- two UK variants and one South African and Brazilian variant each, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey said. Providing details of the efficacy rate of Covaxin and Covishield vaccines against each of the mutations, he said there was no significant difference noted in the efficacy of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin against the UK and the Brazil strains. However, analysis of Covaxin's efficacy against South African strain is ongoing, he said.