First omicron-specific mRNA-based booster vaccine launched
Omicron-specific vaccine: Union minister Jitendra Singh launched an Omicron-specific mRNA-based booster vaccine for Covid on Saturday. The vaccine received the nod from the office of the Drug Control General of India (DCGI) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) a few days ago.
GEMCOVAC-OM is the fifth vaccine produced with help from Mission COVID Suraksha, which is being implemented by DBT and BIRAC as part of the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 package for the rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines.
According to Singh, this 'future-ready' technology platform can be used to produce new vaccines in a relatively short period of time.
This vaccine can be administered without needle injection
GEMCOVAC-OM is a thermostable vaccine that does not necessitate the ultra-cold chain infrastructure required by other approved mRNA-based vaccines.
"This innovation makes it easy for last mile deployment in our country. The existing supply chain infrastructure is sufficient to deploy this vaccine. Its unique feature is that this vaccine can be administered without a needle injection," Singh said.
According to the release, the vaccine is administered intra-dermally using a needle-free injection device system and in study participants, it generated significantly higher immune responses.
The clinical outcome highlights the need for variant-specific vaccines for desired immune response.
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- With inputs from agencies
