The Government of India Saturday (June 24) has taken another strong step towards prevention from Kovid. Union Minister Jitendra Singh has launched a special mRNA-based booster vaccine for the Omicron variant. The name of this vaccine is GEMCOVAC-OM and it is the first indigenous mRNA vaccine launched for Omicron.

Significantly, at the end of last year, the cases of corona in the country started increasing rapidly again, the effect of which was very high till February-April. Omicron and specifically the XBB.1.5 variant was believed to be responsible for the infection in the country at that time. Studies conducted on the Omicron variants found that most of its sub-variants were able to dodge the immunity already created by the vaccine. In such a situation, there was a risk of infection even in vaccinated people, due to which there was a demand for special vaccines targeting Omicron variants.

GEMCOVAC-OM is one such vaccine that can help target new variants of corona and protect it from disease. Let us know in detail about this vaccine.

Know about the GEMCOVAC-OM vaccine
Genova, a subsidiary of Emcure, has launched India's first mRNA booster vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. With the help of funding from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Genova has developed the COVID booster vaccine using indigenous platform technology. Its cost is Rs 2,292 per dose. The vaccine will soon be available in private hospitals.

Gemcovac-OM received emergency use approval from the Drug Control General of India (DCGI) a few days ago. Two things make this vaccine special.

First - easy maintenance
The Gemcovac-OM vaccine is different and special from the previous vaccines in many respects. While other vaccines require special temperatures to be stored, due to which their maintenance was difficult, this vaccine does not require cold storage and can be easily transported to remote areas with limited resources.

Who can get these vaccines?
According to Genova, this vaccine can be used for people 18 years of age and older who have received two previous Covid vaccines. This vaccine can be used as a booster. A single dose of Gemcovac-OM can be administered at least 4 months after completion of primary immunization with Covaxin or Covishield.

Second – Vaccination will be needle-free
What makes this vaccine special is its needle-free technology. That is, like other vaccines, this vaccine shot does not require a needle injection. In such a situation, both the pain caused by vaccination and the people who have needle phobia will be benefited from it.

How effective is this vaccine?
The company stated on its website that the safety and efficacy of Gemkovac-OM in children-adolescents below 18 years of age and pregnant-lactating mothers have not been established. This vaccine should not be given to people who have a high-severe fever problem. It can be effective in other healthy people and is effective in protecting against new variants of corona and protecting against the risks of serious diseases.

(PC: Freepik)