Expert panel clears first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech and Biosafety level

Expert panel clears first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech and Biosafety level

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: A day after restricted emergency approval for Covishield, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured under license in India by the Serum Institute of India, similar approval has been granted to Covaxin, first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech.

Concept:

• COVAXIN is India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech.
• It is developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV).
• It is being developed in Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility.
• BSL-levels from 1 to 4 are a series of protection for carrying out industrial and scientific processes (particularly in medical fields) requiring elevated temperature and pressure in biological labs.
• These levels are designated based on the agents or organisms that are being researched or worked on in any given laboratory setting. BSL-1 is lowest safety level and BSL-4 is highest biosafety level.
• These biosafety levels are determined by:
  • Risks related to containment
  • Severity of infection
  • Transmissibility
  • Nature of the work conducted
  • Origin of the microbe
  • Agent in question
  • Route of exposure