Is newborn calf serum used to make Bharat Biotech's Covaxin? An RTI reply to applicant Vikas Patni suggests so. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare clarified that the Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin does not contain newborn calf serum. The manufacturing company also stated that while the serum is used in the process of making the vaccine, it is not present in the final product.