During India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive, two vaccines dominated the national immunisation programme: Covishield (manufactured by the Serum Institute of India) and Covaxin (developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with ICMR). Millions of Indians had to choose between the two, leading to widespread debate about which was better. Here’s a clear, factual breakdown.

What Is Covishield?

Covishield is the Indian-manufactured version of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. It uses a viral vector (a modified chimpanzee adenovirus) to deliver genetic instructions for making the coronavirus spike protein into cells. It was developed jointly by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and produced at massive scale in India by the Serum Institute of India in Pune.

• Type: Viral vector vaccine
• Doses: 2 doses, 4–12 weeks apart
• Storage: Standard refrigerator temperatures (2–8°C)
• Efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19: ~70–90% (higher with wider dose interval)
• Efficacy against severe disease/hospitalisation: ~90%+

What Is Covaxin?

Covaxin is India’s first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine, made by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). It uses an inactivated (killed) form of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to trigger immunity — a well-established vaccine technology used in flu and polio vaccines for decades.

• Type: Inactivated whole-virus vaccine
• Doses: 2 doses, 4 weeks apart
• Storage: Standard refrigerator temperatures (2–8°C)
• Efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19: ~77–78% (Phase 3 trial data)
• Efficacy against severe disease: ~93%

Covishield vs Covaxin: Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Covishield	Covaxin
Developer	Oxford/AstraZeneca + SII	Bharat Biotech + ICMR
Technology	Viral vector	Inactivated virus
Doses	2 (4–12 weeks apart)	2 (4 weeks apart)
Efficacy (symptomatic)	~70–90%	~77–78%
Efficacy (severe disease)	~90%+	~93%
WHO EUL	Yes	Yes (November 2021)
International acceptance	Widely accepted	Accepted in most countries

Side Effects: What to Expect

Both vaccines showed broadly similar and manageable side effect profiles in trials:

Covishield common side effects: Pain at injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, fever, joint pain. These typically resolve within 1–2 days. A rare but serious side effect — Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis (VITT) — was identified in a very small number of recipients globally and is now well understood and treatable.

Covaxin common side effects: Injection site pain, headache, fatigue, fever, body ache. Side effects were generally reported as milder compared to Covishield in anecdotal and early observational data.

Which One Was Better for India?

Both vaccines were effective and safe for the Indian population. The choice between them during the pandemic was largely determined by availability rather than superiority, as supply varied by location and rollout phase. From a public health perspective, getting vaccinated with whichever was available was consistently the recommended approach by ICMR and the Ministry of Health.

Covishield was administered in significantly larger numbers due to the Serum Institute’s massive production capacity. Covaxin offered the advantage of being 100% domestically produced and was seen as a matter of national scientific pride.

Current Status (2026)

With the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic now behind us, most countries — including India — have transitioned from mass vaccination drives to targeted booster programmes for high-risk groups. Updated vaccines targeting newer variants may be recommended by health authorities. Always check with MOHFW (mohfw.gov.in) or your doctor for the latest guidance.

This article is for general information only. For personalised medical advice, consult a qualified healthcare professional.