COVID-19 vaccines reduce the chances of developing severe infection and mortality, ICMR Chief Balram Bhargava said on Tuesday. Responding to a question about people contracting the coronavirus infection even after taking both doses of COVID vaccine, he said these are "disease-modifying" vaccines and there is an 85 percent reduction in hospitalisation after vaccination which is well established internationally.
"These vaccines are disease-modifying. After two doses are administered, the antibodies develop. The COVID-19 vaccines reduce the chances of developing severe infection and death due to the disease," the ICMR Director-General said.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the country's apex health research body.
Currently, two vaccines -- Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) -- are being used for inoculation in India.
India's drug regulator has also granted permission for the restricted emergency use of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V with certain conditions.
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