Ancovax

In News 

The Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare   unveiled India’s first Covid-19  the vaccine, called Ancovax, for animals. 

About Ancovax 

• It can be used in dogs, lions, leopards, mice, and rabbits. 
• It is an inactivated vaccine developed using an infectious part of the Delta variant. In addition, it uses Alhydrogel as an adjuvant to boost the immune response.
  • This is the first Covid-19 vaccine for animals developed in India. 
  • There were reports from Russia last year that that country, too, had developed a vaccine against animals such as dogs, cats, minks, and foxes.

• It can protect animals against the Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.
• The aim of the vaccine is to protect endangered animals such as lions and tigers.

Significance 

• There have been reports of Covid-19 infection in several animals, including dogs and cats. 
• The vaccine can protect animals in the zoo.
•  It can also prevent transmission from companion animals to humans.

Source:IE