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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
India has officially approved its first nasal vaccine against Covid-19. Called iNCOVACC, it is administered as drops by spraying within the nasal cavity, where it stimulates the immune response. The opinion of Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
After China, which approved its inhaled Covid vaccine, it is India’s turn to officially approve its nasal vaccine, by the Indian medicines regulator in November and then by the medicines regulatory body in last December.
First nasal vaccine for India
The iNCOVACC vaccine, manufactured by the Bharat Biotech laboratory, will therefore be able to be used as a primary or booster dose for all Indian adults who have already undergone a double vaccination with the Covishied or Covaxin vaccines, the two main Indian vaccines. .
The company said the vaccine candidate has been evaluated in Phase I, II and III clinical trials with positive results. “ iNCOVACC has been specifically formulated to allow its intranasal administration by nasal drops. The nasal delivery system was designed and developed to be cost effective in low and middle income countries“says the statement from the laboratory.
A vaccine that will cost ten dollars
The vaccine will cost 800 rupees per dose, the equivalent of ten euros in private hospitals and 325 rupees per dose, or just under 5 euros in public hospitals. It can be booked on the government’s online platform. Two doses are to be taken 28 days apart.
For Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, “it is a great achievement for us and the global scientific community to enable nasal delivery of Covid vaccines. Despite the lack of demand for Covid vaccines, we have continued the development of intranasal vaccines to ensure that we are well prepared with these technologies in the face of new infectious diseases“.
A promising track
Scientists believe nasal vaccines may provide additional immunity to the lining of the nose and upper respiratory tract, where Covid typically enters the body. Research teams in the UK and the US have also studied nasal spray vaccines.
“VSis a very good idea because this type of vaccine stimulates another type of immunity, which prevents the virus from entering the body and therefore prevents its transmission” concludes Dr Gérald Kierzek.