The COVID-19 Delta Variant is now dominating in several countries. So far, more than 85 countries have detected this new variant. First detected in India, this variant is more transmissible as compared to other variants. It spreads faster and makes people even sicker. However, there are vaccines that can combat the new variants. In this article, we will discuss such vaccines.
Vaccine Companies Prove their Effectiveness Against COVID-19 Delta Variant
The COVID-19 Delta variant is spreading at a faster pace now. First detected in India, it is now observed in more than 85 countries. Experts doubt whether the existing COVID-19 vaccines work on this variant or not. Well, there are vaccines that provide immunity against this new variant as well. Vaccine makers are releasing data on whether their jab is effective against the virus or not. The virus has mutated across the world. But the Delta variant is more transmissible. The WHO has called this variant “a variant of concern”. It is dominant in countries like the UK and India. Some evidence also suggests that it is also dominant in the US.
Neutralizing the Antibody Levels of the Vaccine
Studies suggest that the Delta variant reduces the vaccine’s neutralizing antibody level. Given below are a few vaccines and their effectiveness against this variant.
- Pfizer- A 7-to-10-fold reduction in neutralizing the antibody level of the vaccine.
- Moderna- Likewise, it has the same 7-to-10-fold reduction in neutralizing the antibody level of the vaccine.
- Covaxin- It sees a three-fold reduction in neutralizing the antibody level of the vaccine.
- Covishield- This has a two-fold reduction in neutralizing the antibody levels.
Indian Companies Manufacturing Vaccines Effective Against COVID-19 Delta Variant
The Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, Zydus Cadila is coming up with its COVID-19 vaccine, ZyCov-D. The company claims that it is quite effective against the COVID-19 Delta variant. Zydus Cadila’s vaccine is the world’s first three-dose, needle-free, DNA vaccine. However, the vaccine is still in its trial phase.
The company is also carrying out trials for children’s vaccines. Moreover, Johnson & Johnson claims that its COVID-19 vaccine can neutralize this variant as well. Russia claimed that its Sputnik-V is also effective against the Delta variant. Currently, Russia is witnessing a third Covid wave.