Bharat Biotech uses 'calf serum' to make Covaxin? Experts call it 'standard practice'

Bharat Biotech uses 'calf serum' to make Covaxin? Experts call it 'standard practice'

An animal study conducted by Bharat Biotech in 2020 also indicated it uses newborn calf serum in making vaccines. Research paper, released by ICMR and Bharat Biotech, said blood serum from newborn cattle is one of the ingredients used in making Covaxin

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Reports regarding the use of "newborn calf serum" in the vaccine making process comes amid several conspiracy theories floating on the internetReports regarding the use of "newborn calf serum" in the vaccine making process comes amid several conspiracy theories floating on the internet
BusinessToday.In
  • Jun 15, 2021,
  • Updated Jun 16, 2021 5:15 PM IST

Is newborn calf serum used to make Bharat Biotech's Covaxin? An RTI reply to applicant Vikas Patni suggests so. The "newborn calf serum is used in the revival process of Vero cells, which is further used for the production of coronavirus during the manufacturing of Covaxin," Bharat Biotech in a reply to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has said. The RTI asked if vaccine producers used fetal bovine serum (FBS) in making coronavirus vaccines. Bharat Biotech did not respond to BT's queries until this story was published.

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Experts say newborn calf serum is used by all viral vaccine makers as a standard practice. "The vaccine will not have the presence of any calf sera. In other words, it is not used to make vaccines, but as an agent to grow the cell. After that, cell is purified and a virus is introduced into that cell. This is where the virus multiplies, it is harvested and killed. A similar process happens in polio vaccine manufacturing too. It is used by all viral vaccine manufacturers in India," a senior industry official told

Is newborn calf serum used to make Bharat Biotech's Covaxin? An RTI reply to applicant Vikas Patni suggests so. The "newborn calf serum is used in the revival process of Vero cells, which is further used for the production of coronavirus during the manufacturing of Covaxin," Bharat Biotech in a reply to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has said. The RTI asked if vaccine producers used fetal bovine serum (FBS) in making coronavirus vaccines. Bharat Biotech did not respond to BT's queries until this story was published.

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Experts say newborn calf serum is used by all viral vaccine makers as a standard practice. "The vaccine will not have the presence of any calf sera. In other words, it is not used to make vaccines, but as an agent to grow the cell. After that, cell is purified and a virus is introduced into that cell. This is where the virus multiplies, it is harvested and killed. A similar process happens in polio vaccine manufacturing too. It is used by all viral vaccine manufacturers in India," a senior industry official told

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