Covaxin shows better response in kids: Study

NEW DELHI: Covaxin, the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s anti-Covid vaccine, is safe and generates greater immune response in children than adults, show paediatric study data between age group of 2-18 years published in The Lancet.

“…its whole-virion inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate, has proven to be safe, well-tolerated, and highly immunogenic in paediatric subjects in phase II/III study. The study has been accepted and published in Lancet Infectious Diseases, peer reviewed high impact factor journal,” said Bharat Biotech.

Covaxin is one of the two antiCovid vaccines that have largely been used to vaccinate people under the national Covid immunisation programme. It was the first vaccine allowed for use in adolescents (15 and above) in the country. The company conducted phase 2/3, open-label, and multicentre study to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of Covaxin in healthy children and adolescents in 2-18 years of age group.

In December last year, days after the Centre allowed use of Covaxin among 15-18 year olds, the company made public its phase 2/3 trial findings stating its vaccine was found to be “safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic” in age group of 2-18 years.

The firm also said that neutralizing antibodies in children, on average, were found to be 1.7 times higher than in adults.

The clinical trial was conducted in the paediatric population between June 2021 to September 2021 and showed safety, less reactogenicity, and robust immunogenicity. The data was submitted to CDSCO and received a nod for emergency use in children aged 6-18.