COVISHIELD VS COVAXIN VS SPUTNIK

As the world reels from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been established that vaccinating against the virus is key to preventing a spike in mortality rates among the population. Pharmaceutical companies have raced against time to develop different vaccines against the virus, striving to be the most efficacious. 

With the Indian government planning to vaccinate most of the population by 2021, three key players emerged in the vaccine scenario in India. They include the Oxford-Astrazeneca’s  Covishield vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India, India’s indigenous Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, and the Russian vaccine Sputnik V produced by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. 

In India, less than half the population has been fully vaccinated until now, and the rest of the population still has some lingering doubts about which vaccine is best for them. In this article, we will talk about the three vaccines and help you assess which vaccine is the best for you.

Covishield

SII’s Covishield was the first vaccine to receive approval for emergency use in India and is now the most commonly available vaccine in any government or private vaccination center in India. It was originally developed by the University of Oxford, London, in partnership with AstraZeneca, and is manufactured in India by the Serum Institute. 

Covishield vaccine is used by some of the European countries as well. It has been recognized for international travel. If you are someone looking to travel internationally soon, for studying or for work purposes, this vaccine will be best suited for you.

Manufacturer

Serum Institute of India

• Type

Covishield is a viral vector-based vaccine, which is a weakened chimpanzee cold virus that carries the protein of coronavirus. Covishield is administered 84 days apart to observe a better boost in the immune response generated by the vaccine. The vaccine must be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius for a shelf life of 9 months.

• Availability & Price

Covishield is available for free in most government vaccination centers, and private vaccination centers charge a fee of Rs 780 per dose. 

• Efficacy

Covishield Vaccine has an efficacy rate of 70%, as per the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). Covishield is greatly effective against the UK variant and is currently being tested for other variants of the COVID-19 virus.

• Side-effects

After being administered the Covishield vaccine, people have reported side effects such as pain, redness, itching, fever, and headache. These symptoms have mostly been mild. Severe side effects have been reported very rarely. For any of these side effects, doctors prescribe taking common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as paracetamol. Find it here. 

Covaxin

Covaxin is India's indigenous vaccine produced by Bharat Biotech. It is among the first two vaccines alongside Covishield to be approved for emergency use in India during the first wave itself. Covaxin is also commonly available in all government vaccination centers and private hospitals. 

It has been recognized for travel in some countries and is currently under review by the USFDA for its 3rd trial data.

• Manufacturer

Bharat Biotech

• Type

Covaxin Vaccine is an example of an inactivated viral vaccine meaning the same virus is present in the vaccine except it does not possess any infectious activity. 

Covaxin is administered 28 days apart since it's an inactivated viral vaccine to boost its immune response. It can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius and has a storage shelf life of 6 months. It is great for usage in warm countries with high rural areas due to its low stability requirements.

• Availability & Price

It is priced at 1400 in private hospitals, and it is available for free in government centers in India.

• Efficacy

Covaxin has shown high efficacy against both the UK variants and the Brazil variant of the COVID strain. In phase 3, Covaxin efficacy of 77.8% was seen against symptomatic COVID-19 infections. In Brazil, it was also tested and found to be efficacious against the delta variant. The covaxin vaccine is highly suitable for people who have compromised immune systems.

• Side-effects

Covaxin has shown mild symptoms such as fever and redness or itching but has demonstrated a symptom-free experience for most people. Again, for aggravated symptoms, you can use NSAIDs. Find them here. 

Sputnik V

Sputnik V is a Russian vaccine that received approval for use in India during the second wave of COVID-19.

• Manufacturer: Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
• Type

Similar to Covishield, Sputnik V is a viral vector-based vaccine. The only difference is that it needs to be delivered only once for one strain. Sputnik V vaccine doses are made of different carrier strains of the chimpanzee virus to aid efficacy and are taken 21 days apart. 

• Availability & Price

Sputnik V vaccine is available only in private hospitals so far. It costs 995 per dose and additional taxes.

• Efficacy 

Sputnik V vaccine efficacy is observed at a rate of 92% as two different strains are administered in two different doses. Theoretically, it shows the highest efficacy among the three.

• Side-effects

The symptoms of Sputnik involve redness, itching, fever, fatigue, and headache. You can take any NSAID such as paracetamol for relief from the same. If you want a better understanding of any of these vaccines, consult a physician.

Getting vaccinated is extremely important to prevent mortality in COVID-19 infections. Do not worry about potential side effects. Wellness Forever is here to provide you with medicines and other essentials at home for a speedy recovery from your vaccination.