New Delhi, January 13: COVID-19 vaccines- Covishield and Covaxin are safe and there should be no doubt about its efficacy and safety, Dr Samiran Panda, Scientist G & Head of Epidemiology & Communicable Diseases Division, ICMR said on Wednesday. Panda said that we should all try to dispel the myths and misconceptions around both the coronavirus vaccines. "Both Covishield and Covaxin are safe and there should not be an iota of apprehension about its safety", Panda added. Covishield To Be Sold at Rs 1,000 in Private Markets, Special Price of Rs 200 Given Only to GoI for First 100 Mn Doses, Says Adar Poonawalla.

According to a tweet by ANI, Panda informed that Covaxin when administered to any individual, creates an array of antigens in the immune system. This means after taking the Covaxin vaccine shots, the immunity that will be produced in the individual after vaccination is expected to address the mutant strains of coronavirus too. "The vaccine that India has developed (Covaxin) presents to the immune system a wide array of antigens, so the immunity which will be produced after vaccination is expected to address the mutants as well", Panda said. COVID-19 Vaccination in India Schedule: Who Will Get the Coronavirus Vaccine First in the Country? Dr Harsh Vardhan Lists Out Categories for Phase 1.

Here's What the ICMR Scientist Said:

The ICMR scientist further added saying that herd immunity produced by vaccination is a good idea but when virus mutates, immunity might not be working against it even if it is a drift. "Indian program has taken smart vaccination approach, rather than mass vaccination approach", he added. Lauding the Indian scientists for the timely vaccine roll-out, Panda cited an example saying that in older days, it would take 20-30 years to get a vaccine or medicine out in market. The ICMR scientist said that since knowledge about the whole genome of virus, within 10-12 months the vaccine (Covaxin) has come out and it underlines the superiority, ability and commitment of Indian scientists.

On Tuesday, the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccination era kicked off when three trucks laden with the doses of the vaccine, from the Serum Institute of India (SII) plant, left from Pune to be transported to different parts of India. Reports informed that the consignment, which was in around 450 boxes weighing nearly 14.50 tonnes carrying the precious cargo of vials, were packed in white boxes covered with plastic for maximum safety and temperature protection.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 13, 2021 06:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).