Intranasal Covid shot

DECKS have been cleared for the launch of the world’s first intranasal vaccine for Covid-19, iNCOVACC. The vaccine, made by Bharat Biotech, has been approved by India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation for ‘restricted use in an emergency situation’ as a booster dose for citizens aged 18 years or above. This is a major milestone for the country’s Covid vaccination programme, which was rolled out in January last year. The breakthrough has also raised India’s stature as a hub of coronavirus vaccines. According to the vaccine maker, iNCOVACC has been designed for easy and pain-free administration. Bharat Biotech has rightly initiated the development of variant-specific vaccines for future preparedness.

Though Covid has subsided considerably in India, there is no room for complacency. The role of vaccination in controlling the virus cannot be overestimated. A patchy inoculation drive is one of the key reasons why China is witnessing a Covid resurgence, with Chinese vaccines not proving to be as effective as those manufactured in India or the West.

What’s worrying for India is the public hesitancy about taking the booster or precaution dose, which was introduced in April this year. Around 15 crore doses in the age group of 18-59 years and nearly 7 crore in the 60-plus category (along with healthcare and frontline workers) have been administered so far. These figures are far from encouraging, despite the Centre’s initiative to make this dose available free of cost to all eligible adults at government centres for a 75-day period (mid-July to September) as part of the celebrations to mark 75 years of Independence. Will the intranasal vaccine encourage people to shed indifference? Factors such as iNCOVACC’s efficacy, safety, pricing and availability will determine the response. The fact that the vaccine has shown successful results in Phases I, II and III of clinical trials should suffice to dispel fears and apprehensions. Nevertheless, the health authorities need to conduct the vaccine awareness campaign with renewed vigour. It’s foolhardy to assume that the pandemic is over. We must remember that vaccines have largely averted severe infections in the past year and a half and will continue to do so in future.