On the occasion of Republic Day, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday launched Bharat Biotech’s intranasal Covid-19 vaccine iNCOVACC.
In December, Hyderabad-based company Bharat Biotech announced that it would sell the intranasal vaccine for Rs 325 per shot for procurement by the government and Rs 800 per shot for private vaccination centers.
The world’s first made-in-India intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilized spike protein. It received a nod from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in November for restricted emergency use among adults as a heterologous booster dose.
The company had said that the nasal route has excellent potential for vaccination due to the organised immune systems of the nasal mucosa.
Clinical trials were conducted to evaluate iNCOVACC as a primary dose schedule and as a heterologous booster dose for subjects who have previously received two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin.
How does it work?
Nasal vaccines have the potential to be more effective at preventing infections because they target the mucosal linings of the nasal airways, which is the point of entry for the coronavirus. By protecting these linings, the vaccine can block the infection and transmission of the virus in both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. INCOVACC is recommended as the first booster shot. The vaccine will be administered to people twice with a gap of 28 days.
Eligibility to take this nasal vaccine
Adults over the age of 18 years who have completed the two doses of Covaxin or Covishield but have not taken the booster shot are eligible to receive the nasal vaccine.
IS IT NECESSARY TO GET A BOOSTER DOSE?
Booster dose offers enhanced protection against Covid-19. The first two doses are still effective in preventing the development of severe disease, but they may become less effective over time, especially in senior citizens and those with comorbid conditions.
New variants, on the other hand, may increase the risk of reinfection. As a result, these booster shots will be critical in maintaining immune protection by increasing antibodies that are beneficial in preventing serious complications.
India began offering Covid-19 booster doses to all adults from April 10, 2022.
(with inputs from PTI)
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