Covaxin vs Covishield vs Sputnik V

While more than 100 million people in India have already received both doses of either Covishield or Covaxin, those who are yet to be vaccinated are pondering over which COVID vaccine is the best in India or which COVID vaccine is better for them. And now, with Sputnik V in the country, let’s get a better understanding of the Covaxin vs Covishield vs Sputnik efficacy rate so that you can choose one that suits you the best.

Covishield, developed jointly by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, has been produced at the Serum Institute of India in Pune and is now priced at 300 for State Governments. Here is what you should know about the vaccine, which was the first one in India.

How does Covishield work?

The formula for Covishield uses a weakened version of adenovirus, which is a common cold virus taken from chimpanzees. However, since the virus is modified, it cannot cause any illnesses. Once the weakened virus is injected into the human bloodstream, our immune system begins producing antibodies to combat the live virus.

Is Covishield effective?

The vaccine initially showed an efficacy rate of 70% during the phase 3 trials in December 2020. The results are as per clinical trials conducted on 11363 volunteers across Brazil and the United Kingdom. However, it has been seen that after the first and second dose of Covishield, the efficacy rate was 90%.

Covishield: Dosage and Side Effects

The two doses of Covishield are administered with a gap of 4-12 weeks, and the vaccine should be stored at a temperature of 2-8 degrees Celsius. There are some minor side effects of the vaccine, and the common ones affect 1 out of 10 people. They are warmth, pain, tenderness, bruises and itching on the injection site, while the other symptoms can be a headache, joint pain, headache, muscle ache, a general feeling of sickness, chills, a feverish feeling or nausea.

Less than 1 out of 100 people may also experience enlarged lymph nodes, dizziness, abdominal pain, low appetite, rash and sweating. However, after the vaccination, consuming paracetamol can help reduce the symptoms.

Covaxin, developed jointly by Bharat Biotech, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology, received approval in January 2021 for emergency use and is priced at 600 for State Governments and 1200 for private hospitals. Read on to know how this vaccine works.

How does Covaxin work?

A sample of the COVID-19 virus was isolated by the National Institute of Virology, which helped Bharat Biotech create the vaccine with inactivated coronavirus. Once injected into the bloodstream, the immune system produces antibodies against the COVID-19 virus, also known as SARS-CoV-2. According to the company, the vaccine is further boosted with the use of vaccine adjuvants which are immune-potentiators.

Is Covaxin effective?

The vaccine is said to have an efficacy rate of 81%, according to an interim analysis conducted by Bharat Biotech on the Phase 3 trial results.

Covaxin: Dosage and Side Effects

Covaxin is administered in two doses with a gap of 28 days between both doses. The usual and reported side effects of the vaccine include pain and swelling at the injection site, abdominal pain, fever, headache, fatigue, body ache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness-giddiness, shivering, sweating, cold and cough. However, it is not necessary that you may experience all of these. And the good thing is that none of these symptoms is adverse, and consuming paracetamol can help lessen these symptoms.

The Sputnik V vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia and is the first globally registered combination vector vaccine against COVID-19. This vaccine is also known as Gam-COVID-Vac. Let’s learn more about how it works.

How does Sputnik V work?

It has been seen that the use of two different vectors of the adenovirus can help the immune system become less resistant to the first vector, thereby increasing the efficacy of the vaccine. Using the harmless adenovirus strain, the vaccine carries a small part of the SARS-CoV2 virus, exposing the body to some part of the virus’ genetic code. The body then identifies the strain and combats it without letting it affect you. After being vaccinated, your immune system produces antibodies to fight the virus.

Is Sputnik V effective?

Sputnik V has an efficacy rate of 91%, which is quite high and is quite close to that of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines that have an efficacy rate of 95%.

Sputnik V: Dosage and Side Effects

The Sputnik V vaccine is administered in two doses with a gap of 21 days. However, each dose uses different inactive strains of the adenovirus, which is also used in Covishield, making the vaccine quite effective.

The reported symptoms of the vaccine do not require you to be hospitalised, and the side effects are not related to the doses. No serious symptoms have come to light yet, and fever is the most common symptom that is known to affect some people and helps boost the body’s immunity. The same can be curbed with the help of paracetamol.

Since the spread of COVID-19 in India, you can easily find a health insurance plans in India with COVID-19 coverage. To ensure that you choose a plan that works the best for you, always compare health insurance policies to find suitable protection against the COVID-19 virus and its effects. Tata AIG’s online health insurance plan offers comprehensive COVID-19 coverage in terms of hospitalisation and loss of income while protecting your whole family against the strain of the virus.

With a range of vaccines to choose from in India, ensure that you and your loved ones pick a suitable vaccine of your choice and get both doses completed as prescribed. Though the number of serious COVID-19 cases have come down considerably, keeping yourself and your family away from harm is always a step towards conquering the virus completely.