COVID-19 vaccines in India: As cases mount amid a deadly second wave of coronavirus in India, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on April 12 gave a nod to the emergency use of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. The vaccine, developed in Moscow, will join Covaxin and Covishield vaccines that are already being administered as part of India's mass vaccination drive that began January 16, 2021.
As per latest data on April 14, India had completed vaccinations for a total of 1,38,77,664 people, accounting for just over 1 percent of the total population. The centre on Tuesday fast-tracked the approval for procurement and use of authorised foreign vaccines, including Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
Sputnik V is among the top vaccines - alongside Pfizer and Moderna - to have shown the highest effective rates. That said, all COVID-19 vaccines in India are recommended for use by medical experts who have advised against making competitive comparisons between their respective efficacies and side effects.
Here's how the three COVID-19 vaccines in India are different:
| Parameter/Vaccine |
Covishield |
Covaxin |
Sputnik V |
| Manufacturer |
Serum Institute of India
(developed by University of Oxford) |
Bharat Biotech |
Dr Reddy's
(developed by Gamaleya Institute) |
| Efficacy |
70-90 percent |
81 percent |
91.6 percent |
| Doses |
Two |
Two |
Two |
| Interval between doses |
60-90 days |
28 days |
21 days |
| How it works |
Weakened version of adenovirus (virus causing common cold) taken from chimpanzees and introduced to human body, which begins producing antibodies against the virus. |
Made using inactivated/dead coronavirus, introduced to the body, which then develops antibodies |
Adenoviruses combined with SARS-CoV-2 (virus causing COVID-19) introduced to the body, which then begins developing immunity against the virus. |
| Side effects |
Nausea, mild fever, headache, chills noted as "common" side effects by SII;
Dizziness, allergy, rashes noted as "uncommon" effects |
Side effects similar to Covishield;
"remote chances" of allergies like rashes, swelling |
No allergies or serious side effects noted |
India has overtaken Brazil to become the country with the second-highest total coronavirus cases (1,38,73,825) in the world, preceded only by the United States (3,13,69,400). On Wednesday, India logged 1,84,372 cases, its highest single-day rise since the pandemic began in 2020.
States leading the rise in daily tally are Maharashtra and Delhi, followed by Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Our COVID-19 updates and coverage here.
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