Nasal Covid vaccine likely to be available in government centers in Delhi by mid-February

According to the official, the availability of the vaccine in private centres, however, would depend on the bookings made by each hospital.

Talking about booster dose figures in the national capital, the figures show that less than 30 per cent of the city’s population has taken the Covid booster dose, as reported by HT.

Read also: Nearly 40,000 COVID-19 deaths reported globally last week, more than half in China: WHO

The needle-free vaccine can be given as a precautionary dose to adults who have been vaccinated with two doses of Covishield or Covaxin.

On 26 January, the world’s first COVID-19 intranasal vaccine was launched by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh. will be spent on the vaccine in government hospitals for 325 for one dose, and 800 in private settings. This is the country’s first indigenously manufactured nasal COVID-19 vaccine.

“We will start buying stocks. After February 15, nasal vaccines are expected to be administered at our centres,” a government official told HT.

The intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion immobilized spike protein. The Hyderabad-based vaccine maker had said in a statement that the vaccine candidate was evaluated in Phase I, II and III clinical trials with successful results.

Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director, Max Healthcare, said that only 27 percent of India’s population has received booster doses and the ease of administration of the nasal vaccine will encourage people to take booster doses.

Speaking to HT, he said, “I think people will be encouraged to get the nasal vaccine as their booster because of the ease of administration. Some people have a phobia of needles so it’s an easy vaccine to administer.” . At present, about 27% of the population in India has taken their third dose. People need to take their booster dose and with the promotion and approval of such a nasal vaccine, its impact among people will be high.”

Meanwhile, the country recorded 99 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases dropped to 1,896, according to data updated on Friday by the Union health ministry. According to the Ministry’s website, 220.36 crore doses of Kovid vaccine have been given so far in the country under the nationwide vaccination campaign.