Delta: List of vaccines that are claimed to be effective against this Covid variant

Zydus Cadila's ZyCov-D, which will be the world's first DNA vaccine, is believed to be effective against the Delta variant.

As the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is emerging as the new threat across the world, vaccine makers are releasing data on whether their product is effective against this variant. Among all the variants, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, Delta has proved to be the most virulent. First reported from India in October 2020, this variant is now present in 96 countries and is on its way to replace Alpha, first reported from the United Kingdom, as the dominant strain.

Union health ministry said both Covaxin and Covishield are effective against Delta variant.

Here is how effective the present vaccines are against Delta strain.

Studies have revealed that Covid variants reduce the neutralising antibody levels created by vaccines. Based on these reduction figures, data on how effective these vaccines are against various variants, are available internationally.

Pfizer: Delta variant results in a 7 to 10 fold reduction in the neutralising antibody levels of Pfizer.

Moderna: Dela variant causes a 7 to 10 fold reduction in neutralising antibody levels of Moderna.

Covaxin: Bharat Biotech's Covaxin sees a three-fold reduction in neutralising antibody levels against the Delta variant.

Covishield: Covishield or Oxford- Astrazeneca vaccine's effect gets reduced two fold against Delta.

While these are based on laboratory findings, Johnson and Johnson has carried out a sample study on 28 people vaccinated with J&J and claimed that its vaccine can neutralise the Delta variant.

Russia-made Sputnik has also claimed that its vaccine is effective against the Delta variant, though Russia at present is witnessing a third wave of the pandemic.

ZyCov-D, another Indian vaccine after Covaxin, which will be the world's first three-dose, needle-free, DNA vaccine has also claimed that the vaccine in the clinical trial proved to be effective against the Delta variant. The phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine was conducted during the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 in the country and hence the vaccine is believed to be effective against the Delta variant.