All you need to know about Covishield

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Covishield is a COVID–19 virus vaccine used to protect against infection by the SARS-COVID virus. It can be administered to adults aged 18 years and above. Oxford University, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, developed this vaccine.

In India, the large – scale manufacturing of this vaccine is undertaken by Pune’s Serum Institute of India.

Each dose of the vaccine costs around Rs. 400 in the state government hospitals while the cost per dose at private hospitals estimate to around Rs. 600 in India. Read more: Coronavirus- How to protect yourself and your family

Covishield comprises over 90% of the vaccines administered across India so far. As per the Indian government’s CO – WIN portal, around 11. 6 crore Covishield jabs have been administered in the country. Over 15 states and Union territories, including Goa, Chandigarh, and Jammu, and Kashmir, have been administering only Covishield vaccines to their beneficiaries.

Over 112 million doses of this vaccine have been administered globally to date. It has been approved for emergency or temporary use in the European Union countries. Read: Can ribavirin be used to treat corona virus?

All you need to know about Covishield

How does Covishield act?

This is a monovalent vaccine. It contains the SARS – CoV – 2 spike ( S ) glycoprotein along with a tissue plasminogen activator. Following vaccination, the S glycoprotein helps to release genes that are transported to the cell’s nucleus. These changes ultimately lead to the stimulation of the neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune response.

What is the dosage frequency of Covishield?

The medicine is administered by two 0.5 ml doses injected intramuscularly into the muscle of the upper arm. It will help if you take the second dose four to eight weeks after the first shot.

Is it effective?

The vaccine is 76.0 % effective in preventing symptoms of COVID. The effects begin at 22 days following the first dose. This increases up to 81.3 % when the second dose is given.

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