JN.1 Strain Of COVID-19: A New Vaccine From Serum Institute? All You Need To Know

The JN.1 sub-variant of COVID-19, which makes for half of the new cases in several countries including the US, has been spreading in India. While experts have said not to panic, they have also advised people to be cautious.

The emergence of JN.1 sub-variant of COVID-19 has caused concerns across the country even though doctors and well as the World Health Organization have asked people not to panic but simply exercise caution. One of the questions that has been raised is the efficacy of the existing vaccine against this sub-variant. While the WHO has mentioned that the "current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19", according to media reports, the Serum Institute is gearing up to apply for licensing a vaccine that could tackle the new JN.1 variant. 

An SII spokesperson was quoted in reports in Moneycontrol and businessline saying, "We are currently offering an XBB1 variant vaccine, which is very similar to the JN1 variant, in the US and Europe. In the coming months, we are aiming to obtain licensure for this vaccine in India. We plan to submit the necessary documentation to the regulators, with the goal of making it available to the public."

India has so far confirmed 21 cases of the JN.1 Covid variant, sparking both attention and concern across the nation. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. However, the global health body emphasised that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence. Meanwhile, India on Thursday recorded 594 fresh COVID-19 infections - taking the number of active cases from 2,311 the previous day to 2,669, according to Union Health Ministry data.  

Meanwhile, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former DG, of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and former WHO chief scientist, told ANI, "We need to be cautious, but we don't need to worry because we don't have any data to suggest that this variant JN.1 is more severe or it's going to cause more pneumonia, more death. I think what we need to do is try to take the normal preventive measures that we are all now familiar with. We were familiar with Omicron, so it's the same family. So not much has changed, but 1 or 2 new mutations have come up. And that's why I think WHO has said let's keep a watch on it. It's a variant of interest. It's not a variant of concern."

Talking about the precautions to take, Dr Swaminathan further said, "Avoid being in a very closed environment with very poor ventilation with toxic people without a mask. So do wear a mask if you're in that type of very close setting because prolonged exposure to somebody infected increases the risk of infection. Try to be in an open space rather than in most cases, have gatherings and now ventilated places today, entering into the season of gatherings." She added,  "If you have some warning symptoms and signs like severe fatigue, prolonged fever or you're feeling breathless, visit the hospital," she said.