1.Covaxin

Released by Bharat Biotech, it has an efficacy of 78% against symptomatic cases. The phase 4 trials were started in June 2021. It constitutes an inactive form of the covid virus. This invokes the immune system which kills any such virus that enters the future. It is given in the form of 2 doses each 4 to 6 weeks apart. There may be side effects like pain, swelling, stiffness in the upper arm, etc. It has not been tested on infants, pregnant, and breastfeeding women.

2.Covishield

 Developed by the Oxford-AstraZeneca, it is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII). It is also given in 2 doses but both are 12 to 16 weeks apart. When both doses are given 30 days apart it is 70% effective but when the doses are 2 to 3 months apart, the efficacy rises to 90%. It has the same side effects as covaxin and is also not tested on infants, pregnant, and breastfeeding mothers.

3.Pfizer

Developed by the German company BioNTech it is an mRNA bases vaccine that encodes the mutated form of the spike protein. Its efficacy is around 91% after the second dose. A gap of 3-4 weeks is recommended between the 2 doses. Side effects remain the same. It can be administered to children above 16 years of age.

4.Sputnik V

Produced by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia, it is an adenovirus viral vector vaccine. Its efficacy is 91%. The second dose is different from the first and is given after 21 days gap. The export from one country to another is easy as it requires a storage temperature of +2-8 degrees Celsius. With the same side effects, it is not recommended to pregnant women.

5.Moderna

Produced by ModernaTX, Inc., an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in Cambridge, it is an mRNA-based vaccine. It is given in the form of 2 doses 28 days apart. It is recommended for people above 18 years of age with the same side effects. After 2 weeks of the second dose, the efficacy rises from 91% to 94%.