Are you looking for facts, information, or benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in India? Here is what you need to know about different vaccines available in India.
What is COVID-19?
Word COVID-19 stands for Coronavirus disease, an illness caused by the novel coronavirus. COVID-19 was first discovered and isolated in Wuhan, China[1]. Since its eruption, COVID-19 has taken almost every part of the world into its custody. Being the second-largest population in the world, India has been affected a lot by COVID-19. To decrease the deadliest wave of COVID-19 ever, India started vaccination on 16/01/2021. Initially, only two vaccines gained approval from the government of India were Covishield and COVAXIN. But in April 2021, Russias first COVID-19 vaccine got approved, which is called Sputnik V.
The government of India has set an aim to vaccinate 250 million people as early as possible.
Why Does COVID-19 Vaccination Necessary?
The COVID-19 vaccines are the safest and the best protective measure against the disease. You can say the COVID-19 vaccine is the anti covid drug. According to the research, vaccination decreases the chances of getting the disease. Even if you contract the COVID-19 after getting the vaccine, the disease severity would be less. The mortality rate has been on the lower side in research trials. Vaccination decreases the spread of disease in a community. If a large number of the population get vaccinated, the rate of spread of COVID-19 would be on the lesser side.
Statistics of COVID-19 Vaccination
As per world statistics, about 26% of the world population have received 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Around 12.8% have received the 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine till the 18th of July 2021.
India is the second-largest country in the world, which has vaccinated 23.9% of its population, with at least one dose of vaccine till the 18th of July, 2021[2]. 6.1% population have received the 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Types of COVID-19 vaccines available in India
Table 1: COVID-19 vaccines available in India and their status.
The COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for use in India are[3]:
- COVAXIN
- Covishield
- Sputnik V
Some vaccines that are under development/clinical trials are:
- Covovax
- ZyCov-D
- Bio E COVID-19
NOTE: The additional types of COVID-19 vaccines are under clinical trials and not approved for the users yet. Some of them have a high cost-to-efficacy ratio or adverse effects. These may be approved for public usage after clinical research.
EFFICACY AND DOSAGE OF COVID-19 VACCINES AVAILABLE IN INDIA
Several COVID-19 vaccines are going through clinical trials and few of them get approval from a drug authority. The comparison of available vaccines regarding their dosage & efficacy is given below:
Covishield
The Covieshield vaccine was developed by the Serum Institute of India in collaboration with Oxford’s AstraZeneca vaccine. It was approved on an emergency basis for the prevention of COVID-19.
The usual route of this vaccine is an intramuscular injection at the upper arm. The gap of the second dosage is a matter of debate; it was increased to 12-16 weeks to vaccinate a large number of people with the 1st dose. But if anyone wants to travel abroad, he may request to get the 2nd dose earlier. Clinical trials have shown an average of 54% efficacy, and few studies have shown increased efficacy of around 79% if the vaccination gap is more.
COVAXIN
This vaccine was developed by Bharat Biotech and ICMR, approved for its usage by the Government of India.
In a clinical trial conducted on 25800 individuals, COVAXIN demonstrated 77.8% efficacy against COVID-19. In severe symptomatic disease, its efficacy has even increased to 93.4%.[4]
The recommended method of vaccination is to inject two doses with a 28 days/4 weeks gap. No severe side effects were observed, except the mild AEFI (adverse event following immunization). The mid symptoms would go away with simple home-based measures.
Sputnik V/Gam-COVID-Vac
Russia’s first COVID-19 vaccine name is sputnik V. It was developed by the Russian state institute Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and microbiology. India is not the only country to get this;68 other countries have accessed this vaccine.
As of February 2021, the sputnik v phase three trial has shown 91.6% efficacy against COVID-19. A follow-up study in May 2021 has certified that the Sputnik V phase three trial complied with the previous standard.
The recommended dose of Sputnik V is two doses for people over 18 years old. Its second dose should be administered only after 21 days or three weeks after receiving the first dose. Its side effects are mild like other vaccines.
Sputnik V is the first vaccine that India has approved from foreign. India has got 56.6 tonnes of doses of it[6].
SIDE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 VACCINES
COVID-19 vaccines have mild side effects only. These side effects go away in a short period. COVID-19 vaccine may result in the following side effects[5]:
- You may feel the heaviness of the head.
- Generalized weakness.
- You may feel nauseated.
- You may develop a fever of mild intensity.
- Chills may be associated with fever.
- Muscular pain or body aches.
- Flu-like symptoms e.g runny nose, sore throat
- You may experience the following side effects on the injection site:
- Pain in the injection site.
- Erythema of the injection site.
- There may be swelling on that site.
Table 2: Side effects of COVID-19 Vaccine
Treatment Note: For general side effects, you can take simple paracetamol. Applying cold sponging soothes the injection site pain or redness. These symptoms would be mild and should go away in a short time. If you get long term side-effects, consult your healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vaccination
Who Can Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Any individual over 18 years old should get the COVID-19 vaccine. Initially, adults get the shot of vaccines; children get vaccines later if vaccines are found safe. COVID-19 affects adults and older people mostly. It is being studied in children too.
How to Book a Vaccine Slot?
You can book a slot from the COWIN app under the vaccine finder.
How to Get the Vaccine?
Most of the vaccines are available in the two-dose form, you will get two doses that would be a few weeks apart.
Some vaccines are available in a single-dose formula which is still under clinical trials and studies.
If you have any chronic disease, can you be vaccinated?
If you have no allergic response to the vaccine, you can receive it. If you have any chronic underlying disease, then consult your healthcare provider before going for a shot.
What are the side effects?
No severe side effects have been demonstrated in clinical trials and on actual vaccination. Mild symptoms are associated with every vaccine e.g. body aches, a headache, fever, and muscular pain.
Should vaccines be administered to pregnant or breastfeeding mothers?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are not contraindications of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Can pregnant women take the COVID-19 vaccine in India?
It is safe for pregnant women and feeding mothers to get the vaccine. But it is recommended to talk to your physician before getting the vaccine.
BOTTOM LINE
COVID-19 is a lethal disease that happened to the world a few years back. This disease resulted in disastrous effects on the whole world. Vaccination is the best protective way to control COVID-19.
Recently different types of vaccines are manufactured and approved on an emergency basis for COVID-19. Approved vaccines efficacy was tested through short-term clinical trials.
India has approved two vaccines named Covaxin and Covishield initially. Later a third vaccine from Russia named Sputnik V was added to the list. The government of India has managed to vaccinate 23.9% of its population with at least 1st dose.
Most of the vaccines are available as two doses given within a few weeks. Vaccines are the only way to protect the COVID-19 effectively by increasing the immunity and creating herd immunity in the population.
You may experience mild side effects e.g. headache, body pains, flu-like symptoms, muscular pain, and injection site symptoms. But these symptoms would go away in a short period.
The bottom line is if you are above 18 years, you must receive the COVID-19 vaccination to protect yourself.
