Bharat Biotech’s intranasal Covid vaccine, iNCOVACC, is likely to be available at government centers in Delhi by mid-February, senior Delhi government officials told the Hindustan Times.
However, according to the official, the availability of the vaccine in private centers will depend on the reserves made by each hospital.
Speaking of booster dose data in the national capital, the data shows that less than 30 percent of the city’s population has taken the Covid booster dose, HT reported.
The no-needle vaccine can be given as a precautionary dose to adults who have been vaccinated with two doses of Covishield or Covaxin.
On January 26, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh launched the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine will have a cost in government hospitals for $325 a dose, and for $800 in private settings. It is the first indigenously manufactured nasal vaccine against covid-19 in the country.
“We will begin to acquire shares. As of February 15, the nasal vaccines are expected to be administered in our centers,” a government official told HT.
The iNCOVACC intranasal vaccine is a recombinant replication-defective adenovirus-vectored vaccine with a stabilized spike protein prior to fusion. This vaccine candidate has been evaluated in phase I, II and III clinical trials with successful results, the Hyderabad-based vaccine maker said in a statement.
Group Medical Director of Max Healthcare, Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja, reported that only 27 percent of India’s population has taken the booster dose and the nasal vaccine will encourage people to get the booster dose due to to its ease of administration.
Speaking to HT, he said: “I think people will be encouraged to get the nasal shots as a booster because of the ease of administration. Some people have a phobia of needles, so it is an easy vaccine to administer. Currently, only about 27% of the population in India have taken their third dose. It is necessary for people to take their booster doses and with the spread and approval of this type of nasal vaccine, the acceptance among people would be greater.”
Meanwhile, the country recorded 99 new coronavirus infections, while active cases dropped to 1,896, according to data updated Friday from the Union Health Ministry. According to the ministry’s website, 220.36 crores of doses of the Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far within the framework of the national vaccination campaign.