India has introduced its first Covid vaccine inhalant, iNCOVACC made by Bharat Biotech, and administered in the form of drops which then stimulate an immune response in the tissues lining the nasal cavity.
In November, India’s drug regulator approved iNCOVACC as a heterologous booster dose – a booster for people who had previously received two doses of Covishied or Covaxin, the two main Indian vaccines – in emergency situations among adults, and in December, it was approved as a primary vaccine and as a subsequent booster shot in adults.
The BBCreports that two doses are to be taken 28 days apart.
Scientists say that nasal vaccines may offer added immunity in the lining of the nose and upper airways, where Covid typically enters the body.
In September last year, China had approved an inhaled Covid vaccine, administered in the form or a spray, while in the UK and US, research teams have also been investigating nasal spray vaccines.
iNCOVACC uses an adenovirus as a carrier for the genetic code that teaches the body how to fight the infection. Adenoviruses used in the vaccines are harmless transporters which have been modified so they cannot replicate or cause infection.
Dr Krishna Ella, chairman of Bharat Biotech, said the vaccine was “easy to deliver” as it didn’t need a syringe or needle, and produced a broader immune response compared with injectable Covid vaccines.
India has administered more than 2bn Covid jabs so far. More than 70% of the population has taken at least two doses.
BBC article – Bharat Biotech: India launches its first nasal Covid vaccine (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
India approves world’s first needle-free, DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine
Inhaled COVID booster vaccine gets the nod in China
Preventive nasal spray cuts viral replication in half — Australian animal study