Anocovax, India’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine for animals, was launched on June 9 by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at the ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) in Haryana.
The vaccine contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Delta) antigen and uses Alhydrogel as an adjuvant. According to the company, it is also safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice, and bunnies.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 can be spread from people to animals through close contact. It is doubtful that COVID-19 will spread from animals to humans. While infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is extremely uncommon in humans, it can cause serious illness in pets.
Anocovax neutralizes both Delta and Omicron forms
Anocovax is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Delta (COVID-19) vaccination for animals. The immunity evoked by Anocovax neutralizes both the Delta and Omicron forms of SARS-CoV-2, according to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
“Scientists’ tireless efforts have helped the country become more self-sufficient in generating its own vaccines rather than relying on imports. This is a huge accomplishment” Tomar spoke after the ICAR-virtual NRC’s introduction of the COVID-19 vaccination and diagnostic kits for animals.
Moreover, Tomar also launched the ‘CAN-CoV-2 ELISA kit,’ a sensitive and specific nucleocapsid protein-based indirect ELISA kit for antibody detection against SARS-CoV-2 in canines, in addition to Anocovax.
Trilochan Mohapatra, the Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Atul Chaturvedi, the Secretary of the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairy, and Bhupendra Nath Tripathi, the ICAR Deputy Director General (Animal Science), were also present.
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