Would be a great achievement: AIIMS expert on nasal Covid vaccines

New Delhi: As India’s first fully indigenous vaccine Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech has got regulatory approval to conduct Phase-3 clinical trials of its intranasal Covid-19 vaccine as a booster dose vaccination drive, AIIMS senior epidemiologist Dr Sanjay Rai, said that the vaccine would be a great achievement and could change the game for India’s fight against coronavirus

"If this vaccine gives mucosal immunity, then it would be a great achievement for the human race. There are 33 vaccines all over the world but none is effective in preventing the infection. We are hoping that this vaccine will provide mucosal immunity that can prevent further infection," Dr Rai told ANI.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission to Hyderabad-based biotechnology firm Bharat Biotech, the manufacturer of India's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, for intranasal booster dose trials. The trials will be done at nine different sites.

Earlier this month, DCGI's Subject Expert Committee (SEC) had granted 'in-principle approval to Bharat Biotech for the conduct of 'Phase III superiority study and Phase III booster dose study' for its intranasal Covid vaccine BBV154.

On being asked about his expectations from the Budget 2022 for the health and medicine sector, Rai said that the need of the hour is to strengthen the public health system at all primary, secondary level and tertiary levels.

"This is not the last pandemic, we must prepare for future pandemics and to handle that, we need to strengthen the public health system," he said.

(With ANI inputs) 

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