Vaccine Drive: Corbavax approved for children, know which other vaccines are available for those below 18 years of age?

The ongoing worldwide corona infection has affected people of all age groups, although even after a lapse of more than two years, the risk of infection in children remains a cause of great trouble for the people. The main reason for this is the inability to vaccinate those below the age of 18 years. However, relief news came out in this direction on Monday. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given the final nod to Biologicals-E's Corbevax vaccine for children in the age group of 12-18 years. This is the first indigenously developed protein subunit vaccine. With the approval of this vaccine, now there are three vaccines for emergency use for children in the country.

In September 2021, Biologicals-E received approval for Phase II and III trials of Corbevax on children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years. The vaccine was found to be safe and effective in the study, based on which the drug regulator has approved it for emergency use. Studies have found this vaccine to be up to 78 percent effective against coronaviruses. Before Corbevax, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Zycob-D have also been approved for children. Let us know about the vaccines available for children in the country and their effectiveness in the following slides.

What is special about Corbevax?

Corbevax is India's first indigenously developed receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein subunit vaccine. In December last year, this vaccine was approved for use in adults. This vaccine is made by the conventional subunit vaccine platform. Instead of using the whole virus, it uses fragments like spike proteins that trigger an immune response. This vaccine contains harmless S-protein. Once the human immune system recognizes this S-protein, it next helps to produce antibodies in the form of infection-fighting white blood cells.

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin

Before Corbevax, the Indian government officially approved Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for children aged 12 to 18 years. In the Phase III trial, Covaxin was found to be 77.8 percent effective against mild, moderate, and severe disease. According to the data submitted by the company, this vaccine is safe and effective in children. Covaxin is a vaccine based on the inactivated virus which means it is made using inactivated coronavirus, which triggers an immune response.

Zycob-D Vaccine

The Zycob D vaccine manufactured by Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila Company has also been approved for use on children. It is the world's first DNA-based vaccine. This vaccine is a plasmid DNA vaccine prepared using a non-replicating version of a DNA molecule called a plasmid. This will help in producing a harmless version of the spike protein present on the membrane of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the body, which will allow easier protection against future infections. Studies have claimed it to be more than 66% effective. Jaycob-D is also Corona's first needle-free vaccine, which means that injecting it into the body will not require needle-like other vaccines. The vaccine will be given through a jet injector instead of a needle.

Vaccines available for children worldwide

While Covaxin, Jacob D, and Corbevax have been approved in India, many other vaccines for children are being used in many countries of the world. In this, Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine in the US, Switzerland, and Italy have approved the Moderna vaccine for children aged 12 to 18 years. The SinoPharma and Sinovac vaccines for children have been approved in China.

Also Read: Now corona vaccine for children too: DCGI approval to apply covaxin to children aged 2 to 18 years in the country, guidelines will be issued soon