The controversy began when an RTI revealed that the calf serum has been used in the Renaissance of the Vero cells that is used for the production of covaxin.
Responding to a RTI response that has waved a controversy, Bharat Biotech based on Hyderabad on June 16, on Wednesday, issued a statement by saying that the final dose of covaxin administered to people has no newborn calf serum. The controversy began a day before, when an RTI presented by a person identified as Vikas Patni revealed that the new calf serum has been used in the Renaissance of the Vero cells used for the production of Covaxin.
In a statement issued on June 16, Wednesday, Bharat Biotech said: “The newborn calf serum is used in the manufacture of viral vaccines. It is used for the growth of cells, but neither of them is used in the SARS VIRUS GROWTH OF SARS VIRUS NI IN THE FINAL Formulation. Covaxin is highly purified to contain only the components of viruses inactivated by eliminating all other impurities. “
The company added that bovine serum has been widely used in the manufacture of vaccines worldwide for several decades. “The use of newborn calf serum was documented transparently in the following publications from the last 9 months,” the company added.
The Ministry of Union Health on Wednesday also issued a clarification, affirming that, while the serum is used only for the manufacture of vaccines, the final vaccine contains newborn calf serum at all. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Union added that the facts have been “twisted and distorted” in social media posts with respect to the composition of the vaccine and the suggestion that Covaxin contains newborn veal whey is not Right.
“The newborn calf serum is used only for the preparation / growth of Vero cells. The different types of bovines and other animal serum are standard enrichment ingredients used worldwide for the growth of Vero cells. Vero cells are They use to establish cell phones that help in the production of vaccines. This technique has been used for decades in polio, rage and vaccines against influenza, “the Government of the Union in a launch.
“These Vero cells, after growth, are washed with water, with chemical products (also technically known as buffer), often to free it from the newborn calf serum. Thereafter, these Vero cells are infected with Coronavirus for the Viral growth, “the Government added.
The government added that these Vero cells are completely destroyed in the viral growth process, so this “adult virus” is also killed (inactivated) and purified. This killed virus is used to make the final vaccine, and in the final formulation of the vaccine, the calf serum is not used, the Ministry of Health said.
“Therefore, the final vaccine (covaxin) does not contain a newborn calf serum at all and calf serum is not an ingredient of the final product of the vaccine,” said government of the Union.
After RTI’s response arose, many users of social networks, especially the part of the Congress, expressed their objections on the vaccine, a development that could further accelerate the vaccine that prevails in the country.
Gaurav Pandhi, member of the congress party, said that the use of serum of the new calf in the vaccine was “atrocious”.
In a RTI response, the Modi Gobert has admitted that Covaxin consists of a newborn calf serum … which is a coagulated blood portion obtained from less than 20 days of calves of young cows, after killing them.
This is atrocious! This information should have been made public before. pic.twitter.com/sngvr0ce29.
– Gaurav Pandhi (@gauravpandhi) June 15, 2021
However, Dr. Sumaiya Shaik, a neuroscience doctor, clarified that animals are not killed to derive blood serum for covaxin. “Or the blood is taken from live calf or (usually the case) imported from slaughterhouses from outside India. In addition, no amount of calf / cow is actually in the vaccine, it is only necessary to produce it (SIC),” he said .