Covaxin or Covishield?

Covaxin Vs Covishield

Covaxin
  • The second dose of Covaxin is scheduled after 4-6 weeks after the first dose.
  • The effectiveness Covaxin is 81% according to interim 3rd phase trial results.
  • Covaxin has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).
  • Covaxin is an inactivated viral vaccine. They contain inactivated viruses, which can not infect a person but still can teach the immune system to prepare a defence mechanism against the active virus.


 
Covishield
  • The second dose of Covishield is scheduled after 12-16 weeks after the first dose.
  • The effectiveness of the Covishield vaccine is nearly 90% as per the global reports.
  • Covishield has been developed by the Oxford - AstraZeneca and is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
  • Covishield has been prepared using the viral vector platform where, A chimpanzee adenovirus – ChAdOx1 – has been modified to enable it to carry the COVID-19 spike protein into the cells of humans. Well, this cold virus is basically incapable of infecting the receiver but can very well teach the immune system to prepare a mechanism against such viruses.
Side effects
  • After getting vaccinated, you may experience pain at the site of injection. 
  • Some people may also experience side effects such as headache, joint pain, and may feel feverish. 
  • These side effects do not persist for long and generally go within a day or two.
  • However covaxin reported less side effects compared to covishield.
Mode of administration Both Covaxin and Covishield are intramuscular vaccines.
Press Information Bureau The Centre has clarified through PIB India, that they can not be compared with each other, scientifically. "There is no direct scientific comparison between the two available vaccines. So one can not choose one over the other. Both the vaccines work well in preventing the infection as well as in preventing severe illness. You can choose any of these, subject to the availability at your vaccine centre," the Centre said.
The Bottom Line
  • Do remember that both of the vaccines we have right now are equally effective. Even if they do not fully prevent COVID infections, both Covishield and Covaxin have been known to cut down severity and mortality risk associated with the infection.
  • The vaccine availability may also depend state-by-state, so do not erroneously prolong your vaccination appointment. Getting any vaccine right now is better than no vaccine, so get the jab when you can.
*For more information visit ICMR Official Website.