Hyderabad: Biological E Limited on Saturday announced that its COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax has been approved by the Drug Controller General as a ‘heterologous’ booster dose. This essentially means that adults fully vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin can take Corbevax as their third or booster shot.
Corbevax can be administered as a booster dose to individuals aged 18 years and above after six months of administration of two doses of Covaxin or Covishield vaccines.
Thus far, the booster dose mandatorily had to be of the same vaccine that was given in the first and second shot.
Corbevax is the first such vaccine in India to be approved as a heterologous COVID-19 booster.
BE's clinical trial data showed that its Corbevax booster dose provided significant enhancement in immune response and excellent safety profile required for an effective booster, says the vaccine maker.
Corbevax has been developed and manufactured by BE Limited in association with Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine as a recombinant protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19.
BE has supplied 100 million doses of the jab to the Central government so far.
So far, 51.7 million doses of Corbevax have been administered to children in India, including 17.4 million who have received both doses, Biological E Ltd said. In April, the DCGI had recommended granting emergency use authorisation for Corbevax for children in 5 to 12 years age group.
Biological E also has reduced the price of Corbevax to Rs 250 from Rs 840 a dose, inclusive of goods and services tax, for private vaccination centres in May.
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