India´s first nasal Covid-19 vaccine gets approval

New Delhi, Sep 6 (Prensa Latina) India's first intranasal Covid-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech received DCGI approval on Tuesday for primary immunization against the infection for people above the age of 18, according to Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

September 6, 2022
17:56

Making the announcement via a tweet on Tuesday, Dr. Mandaviya said that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) had granted approval to the vaccine for restricted use in emergency situation.

The Indian drug regulator completed clinical trials of its nasal vaccine BBV154 in some 4,000 volunteers, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

So far, no side effects or adverse reactions have been reported, the source said.

Bharat Biotech said Aug. 15 the vaccine proved to be safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic in phase three trials.

Bharat Biotech said this intranasal Covid-19 vaccine has been specifically formulated to allow intranasal delivery through nasal drops. It also stated that the nasal delivery system has been designed and developed to be cost-effective for low- and middle-income countries.

India has administered over 2.137 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses since January 2021, according to Health and Family Welfare Ministry´s latest data.

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