Bharat Biotech’s Intranasal COVID-19 Booster Gets DCGI Approval for Emergency Use Authorisation

Picture courtesy PTI

New Delhi: The booster dose of Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 nasal vaccine iNCOVACC on Friday received emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

iNCOVACC is India’s first nasal vaccine developed against COVID-19. CNBC-TV18 reported sources as saying that the EUA has been granted for restricted emergency use as the third dose for adults irrespective of having been administered Covaxin or Covishield vaccine doses.

The intranasal immunisation of ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S can create an immune response in the nose, which is the point of entry for the virus. The booster dose will thereby protect against disease, infection, and transmission. The nasal vaccine can be taken after six months of the second dose. As this is non-invasive and needle-free, it becomes easy to administer. The intranasal vaccine stimulates a broad immune response and it is likely to block both infection and transmission of COVID-19, Bharat Biotech claimed.

On September 6, DCGI approved its intranasal COVID vaccine iNCOVACC for restricted emergency use in those aged above 18 years.

Bharat Biotech had also applied for market authorisation for the intranasal heterologous booster from the DCGI, reported ANI. The vaccine will be administered as a booster shot after Covishield and Covaxin.

India began offering booster doses to all adults on April 10 this year.