Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that research on nasal Covid-19 vaccine is under way in the country, and if it turns out to be successful, the vaccination process will further speed up.
"Research is going on for a nasal spray vaccine, which if successful can significantly boost India's vaccination drive," he said.
What is nasal vaccine?
A nasal vaccine is a vaccine administered to a person via the nose and does not require a needle. It induces immunity through the inner surface of the nose, a surface that naturally comes in contact with many airborne microbes.
Last year, scientists developed a vaccine against Covid-19 that could be given in one dose via the nose and was effective in preventing infection in mice susceptible to the novel coronavirus, an advance that many thought would lead to protective candidates that can curb the pandemic.
The study, published in the journal Cell, noted that, unlike other Covid-19 vaccines, the one delivered via the nose targets the initial site of infection, and causes a more widespread immune response.
An expert panel of India's drug regulator CDSCO on January this year recommended granting permission for conducting the phase 1 clinical trial of an intranasal vaccine against Covid-19 developed by Bharat Biotech. NITI Aayog member (health) V K Paul at a press conference said, "A nasal vaccine candidate has been identified. It has come for consideration to the drug regulator for phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials."
Krishna Ella, the chairman of Bharat Biotech, had said the company is focusing on the intranasal vaccine as existing vaccines require two-dose intramuscular injections and a country like India needs 2.6 billion syringes and needles which may add to pollution. "One drop of vaccine in each of the nostrils is sufficient," he had said.
PM Modi also announced that from June 1, all above 18 years will get the Covid-19 vaccine for free.
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