Delta Plus variant: ICMR, NIV to study if vaccines in India can neutralise the new mutant strain

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) have decided to carry out a study to check if the newly found Delta Plus variant(B.1.617.2.1/(AY.1), a new mutant strain of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, can be neutralised by the vaccines present in India.

The study is likely to involve Covaxin and Covishield vaccines.

The Delta Plus variant has been found in Bhopal and Shivpuri districts of Madhya Pradesh, Ratnagiri and Jalgaon districts of Maharashtra, and Palakkad and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala.


When asked whether present vaccines can fight against the Delta Plus variant, Dr Pragya Yadav, head of the NIV's Maximum Containment Facility said that samples have been collected and a study is being carried out.

"As per earlier data concerning Delta variant, neutralization was happening with the existing vaccines in India. Though neutralization has dropped, it's enough to protect against Delta variant. Delta Plus should also behave (in a similar manner). We are working in this direction. We have isolated this variant and we are going to conduct a study soon. We will come back with the study," she said.

Earlier, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had written to chief secretaries of Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra, asking them to take up immediate containment measures in the districts and clusters, where COVID-19 'Delta Plus' variant has been detected, including preventing crowds and intermingling of people, widespread testing, prompt tracing as well as vaccine coverage on a priority basis.

With Inputs from ANI