Those eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Mumbai can now safely choose to get Covaxin, the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Bharat Biotech which is also the country’s first indigenously developed vaccine for the deadly virus.
This comes around three days after the Central Government removed Covaxin from the “clinical trial mode”, thus paving the way for widespread use of the vaccine. It now enjoys the same licensure status as Covishield.
Following much speculation about the vaccine’s impact, makers of Covaxin on March 4 said that preliminary results of its phase III clinical trials showed that their vaccine has an efficacy rate of 81 per cent.
Keeping this in mind, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved Covaxin to be used in five of its vaccine centres in Mumbai beginning Monday, March 15.
Officials said that the option of Covaxin will be provided at SevenHills Hospital as well as jumbo COVID centres at Bandra-Kurla Complex, NESCO, Dahisar, and Mulund while Dr RN Cooper and BYL Nair Hospitals will be included in the list starting next week.
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As of March 14, Covaxin shots were only provided at Byculla’s Government-run JJ Hospital which also happened to be the only Phase III clinical trial site for the vaccine in Mumbai. The BMC has reportedly received 63,000 doses of Covaxin from the Centre on Saturday, March 13.
Additional Municipal Commissioner of the BMC, Suresh Kakani said, “Walk-in beneficiaries, during registration, will be given a choice across the table. After two-three days, the centralised Co-WIN site will also add the option to choose between the two vaccines. So, while registering online, people can choose their preferred vaccine.”
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Dr Rajesh Dere who is the in-charge of the BKC jumbo facility said, “Unlike earlier, Covaxin beneficiaries will not have to sign a consent letter to take the vials. Earlier, people had to give their approval as it was under clinical trial.”
It’s worth noting that Covaxin has been used since January 16 in some form with healthcare and frontline workers. Meanwhile, vaccine recipients were formally allowed to choose between Covaxin and Covishield starting in late February.
Also read - COVID-19 Vaccine Beneficiaries Can Now Choose Between Covishield, Covaxin
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