Bhubaneswar: The two vaccines-Covaxin and Covishield that are being generally used for vaccination have an efficiency rate between 70-80 per cent so definitely 20-25 per cent of people will not develop antibodies in them, informed Director of the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) Dr Ajay Parida today.
So, therefore, the test results of many people who are getting themselves tested for antibodies won’t show the presence of antibodies, Dr Parida clarified.
The ILS Director said that is why the Government of India has not yet finalised whether to go for a booster dose and if so of the same vaccine or another vaccine.
“Accordingly discussions and trials are underway. So after a few days, it will be known whether people will be administered booster doses or have to go for a third dose,” Dr Parida stated.
On being asked why some people are not developing antibodies despite being vaccinated with both doses, Dr Parida said that it varies from individual to individual.
“There are differences between my genetic make-up and your genetic make-up. So it depends on what we call the host factor. So some people will develop antibodies and some people will not,” clarified Dr Parida.
Speaking on genome sequencing of Covid strains, Dr Parida informed that genome sequencing of around 90,000 samples from all over India has been conducted so far.
He said that genome sequencing results of most of the samples, around 90-95% in August and September have been found to be of the Delta variant.
“This is one good thing that no further mutation has been detected,” said Dr Parida.
He informed that genome sequencing of over 4,000 samples from Odisha has been conducted.
“Odisha ranks fourth among the States from where the maximum number genome sequencing of samples has been conducted. Maharashtra ranks first from where genome sequencing of maximum samples have been carried out, followed by Kerala, then Delhi and Odisha and Telangana are fourth and fifth respectively,” the ILS Director stated.
