Expert: Covishield, Covaxin may offer protection against Omicron

Expert: Covishield, Covaxin may offer protection against Omicron

Umesh.Isalkar@timesgroup.com

Pune:30.11.2021

Covishield and Covaxin jabs can prevent hospitalisation and death of patients infected with the new Botswana variant Omicron (B.1.1.529), novel coronavirus’s most mutated version as yet, a noted infectious diseases expert has said.

“Theoretically, it is possible that the new variant of concern (Omicron) may challenge vaccines’ efficacy. But, we know that our vaccines prevent hospitalization and death, and the same may be potent against the Omicron variant. People must take two doses of the vaccine — either Covishield or Covaxin — and adhere to Covid-19-appropriate behaviour, especially that of wearing a mask, to ward off infection from such variants,” said senior scientist Raman Gangakhedkar, former head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases division of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Gangakhedkar is one of the 26 members of the WHO team appointed to examine the origins of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 that cause pandemics. “There is not enough data yet to understand Omicron’s ability to evade vaccine or a natural infection-induced immune response. Hence, we should continue to enhance coverage in vaccine rollout, so that hospitalisation does not increase. Unvaccinated people must take two doses of the vaccine and those who have taken one dose must take the second dose at the earliest,” Gangakhedkar said.

The second dose boosts not only virus-specific antibodies but also the T cells (T-lymphocytes), which are memory cells and part of the broader immune response against the virus, Gangakhedkar said, advising strict adherence to the two-dose regime.

Disease-causing properties of this variant, like transmissibility, potential to cause severity and immune evasion either from vaccination or previous infection with other variants, are unclear as yet.

“More studies are needed to delineate whether previous exposure to the Delta strain or currently available vaccines will shield us against severe illness due to Omicron,” infectious diseases expert Sanjay Pujari, a member of the National Covid Task Force, told TOI. India’s advantage lies in the knowledge that a majority of the population has encountered the virus and acquired immunity, senior clinical epidemiologist Amitav Banerjee said.