Covaxin "Found To Neutralise 617 Variant": US Health Expert Anthony Fauci

Covaxin was developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with National Institute of Virology and the ICMR and was approved for emergency use on January 3 while still in clinical trial.

Covaxin, India's home-grown Covid vaccine produced by Bharat Biotech, has been found to neutralise the B.1.617 variant or the Indian double mutant strain, House Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday. "This is something where we're still gaining data on a daily basis. But the most recent data, was looking at convalescent Sera of COVID-19 cases and people who received the vaccine used in India, the Covaxin. It was found to neutralise the 617 variant," he said, according to news agency PTI. "So, despite the real difficulty that we're seeing in India, vaccination could be a very, very important antidote against this," Dr Fauci was quoted as telling reporters. Covaxin was developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with National Institute of Virology and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and was approved for emergency use on January 3 while still in clinical trial.