Nasal booster vaccine is likely to be launched in India by March, sources said.
Highlights
- Bharat Biotech has sought approval for clinical trials of its nasal vaccine
- The company plans to use the nasal vaccine as booster or third dose
- The interval between second dose of Covid vaccine and booster dose will be six months
Covid Booster dose, Nasal Vaccine News: The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)'s Subject Expert Committee (SEC) is scheduled to meet on Tuesday (January 4) to discuss the Bharat Biotech's application for clinical trials of its intranasal Covid vaccine as a booster or a third dose.
According to reports, Bharat Biotech has proposed that its nasal vaccine can be used as booster dose for those who have already been inoculated with Covaxin or Covishield vaccines against coronavirus.
The Hyderabad manufacturer said it aims to conduct clinical trials on 5,000 people. The interval between the second dose of Covid vaccine and booster dose will be six months, news agency ANI reported quoting sources.
Sources also added that the nasal booster vaccine is likely to be launched in India by March following clinical trials.
The government had recently approved Serum Institute of India's vaccine Covovax, Biological E's jab Corbevax and anti-Covid pill Molnupiravir expanding India's basket of COVID-19 vaccines.
"Congratulations India. Further strengthening the fight against COVID-19, CDSCO, @MoHFW_INDIA has given 3 approvals in a single day for: - CORBEVAX vaccine - COVOVAX vaccine - Anti-viral drug Molnupiravir For restricted use in emergency situation," Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said in a tweet on December 28, last year.
"Corbevax vaccine is India's 1st indigenously developed RBD protein sub-unit vaccine against #COVID19, Made by Hyderabad-based firm Biological-E. It's a hat-trick! It's now 3rd vaccine developed in India," the minister said in another tweet.
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Six COVID-19 vaccines - Serum Institute's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Zydus Cadila's ZyCoV-D, Russia's Sputnik V and the US-made Moderna and Johnson and Johnson - had already received emergency use authorisation. However, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccinations are yet to be made available in the country.
(With inputs from agencies)
