Business

Bharat Biotech’s Intranasal Covid Vaccine Approved

Bharat Biotech’s intranasal Covid vaccine has been approved by the Union Health Ministry for inclusion in the vaccination programme as a booster dose for those above 18 years of age, official sources said on Thursday.

The needle-free vaccine will be available at private centres. It will be introduced on the Co-WIN platform on Friday evening, they said.

The nasal vaccine — BBV154 — received approval of the Drugs Controller General of India in November for restricted use in an emergency situation for those above 18 as a heterologous booster dose.

According to Bharat Biotech, the intranasal vaccine has several advantages because the nasal route has excellent potential for vaccination due to the organized immune systems of the nasal mucosa. It is also non-invasive and needle-free and has ease of administration since it does not require trained healthcare workers.

Also read: Dr Anil Goyal: India Won’t Have Lockdown

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Thursday cautioned people against complacency and urged them to wear masks in crowded places, while also directing officials to strengthen surveillance measures, especially at international airports.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review the COVID-19 situation in India and the preparedness of the public health system for surveillance, containment, and management of COVID-19.
He urged people to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated against the virus.

Emphasizing that COVID-19 is not over yet, he asked the officials to be fully geared up and strengthen surveillance.Mandaviya has already directed the officials to be fully geared up and strengthen the surveillance system for whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network to ensure the timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country.

Also read: Health Minister Advises To Follow Covid Protocol

Spriha Rai

Recent Posts

IPL 2025 To Resume On May 17 After India-Pakistan Ceasefire

The BCCI confirmed the revised schedule on Monday. Seventeen matches will be held across six…

8 hours ago

Virat Kohli’s Retirement: BCCI Hails Legacy Of Excellence In Test Cricket

The BCCI extended its heartfelt congratulations to Virat Kohli following retirement from Test cricket, a…

8 hours ago

Raymond Lifestyle Reports ₹45 Crore Q4 Loss Amid Weak Demand And Cyber Disruption

Raymond Lifestyle posted a consolidated net loss of ₹45 crore for the fourth quarter of…

9 hours ago

AI Upskilling Gains Momentum Among Indian Tech Professionals: Naukri Survey

India now receive some form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) training support from their employers, according…

9 hours ago

PM Modi Says ‘Made In India’ Weapons Proved Power In Operation Sindoor

“The world is witnessing the rise of Indian defence systems in modern warfare,” PM Modi…

9 hours ago

Nuclear Blackmail Won’t Work: PM Modi’s Stern Message To Pakistan

PM Modi addressed the nation on Monday evening, dedicating the success of Operation Sindoor to…

9 hours ago