EDEN IAS

Menu
indigenous mRNA

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | INDIGENOUS mRNA JAB GETS DCGI NOD FOR EMERGENCY USE | 29TH JUNE | INDIAN EXPRESS

/ June, 2022, UPSC Daily Current Affairs

SYLLABUS SECTION: GS III (SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, the Drugs Controller General of India, granted emergency use authorisation (EUA)to Pune-based Gennova’s Covid-19 vaccine, paving the way for the introduction of India’s first indigenous mRNA Covid-19 vaccine

MORE DETAILS:

  • Gennova’s mRNA vaccine has been grant restrict emergency use for the age group 18 years and above.
  • The government’s expert panel will take a final call to introduce the vaccine into the nation’s Covid19 immunisation drive.

mRNA Technology:

  • The mRNA technology is a messenger RNA, a copy of DNA sequence, and is a blueprint to make a protein.
  • In mRNA vaccine, the mRNA carries the sequence information of spike protein. This mRNA is encapsulate in lipid formulation and injects into the body.
  • In the body cells, it makes the spike protein, which stimulates protective antibodies to fight the coronavirus.
SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIA’S MRNA VACCINES:
  • Unlike other mRNA vaccines that have to be store at ultra-cold temperatures, India’s mRNA vaccine can be store at 2-8degrees Celsius.
  • The indigenous grown mRNA vaccine platform holds promise to deal with other infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, Dengue fever, Malaria, Chikungunya, Rare Genetic diseases and others.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF VACCINES:

1)Indigenously Developed Vaccines:

  • ZyCoV-D: Designed and developed by Zydus (a pharmaceutical company) with support from the DBT.
  • Covaxin:  Developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR.

2)Globally Developed Vaccines:

  • Covishield:  Name given to an Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine candidate which is technically referred to as AZD1222 or ChAdOx 1 nCoV-19.
  • Sputnik V:The first vaccine to be officially registered and has been developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute in collaboration with Russia’s defence ministry.

SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS