PETA urges DCGI to stop use of 'calf serum' in Covaxin

PETA's recommendation comes even as the Union Health Ministry has clarified that the calf serum is not used in Covaxin's production but used only for preparation of vero cells.

Animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has urged the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to replace the use of newborn calf serum in the production of Covaxin with an animal-free method. The group’s recommendation comes even as the Union Health Ministry has clarified that the calf serum is not used in Covaxin's production but used only for the preparation of vero cells. In a letter sent on Thursday, PETA requested DCGI Dr VG Somani to direct vaccine manufacturers to replace newborn calf serum (NBCS) with animal-free, commercially available, and chemically defined media in the production of the Covid-19 vaccine. "PETA India looks to the Drugs Controller to ensure that vaccine manufacturers switch to available animal-free media that overcome the limitations associated with the use of animal-derived serum," the letter read.