Guwahati: The Union Health Ministry has approved Bharat Biotech‘s intranasal Covid vaccine, media reports said on Friday.
According to reports, the needle-free vaccine will be available at private centres and will be added on the Co-WIN platform on Friday evening.
The vaccine will be included in the Covid vaccination programme as a booster dose for those above 18 years of age.
In November, the nasal vaccine – BBV154 had received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India for restricted use in an emergency situation for those above 18 as a heterologous booster dose.
The approval for the vaccine comes amid a spurt in Covid cases in China and some other countries.
This vaccine has been specifically formulated to allow intranasal delivery through nasal drops.
The nasal delivery system has been designed and developed to be cost-effective in low and middle-income countries.
On Thursday, PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the status and preparedness of public health response to COVID-19 and emphasised the need for strengthened surveillance with a focus on genome sequencing and increased testing.