The nasal Covid vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech has been licensed as a booster dose and will be accessible at private clinics this evening after its introduction on CoWIN.
“The nasal vaccine has been approved by the Indian government. It will be administered as a heterologous booster and will initially be made available at private hospitals. Today, it will be included in the Covid immunization program, according to government sources.
The intranasal vaccine, which is unnecessary, would be India’s first such booster dose. It can be administered to those older than 18 years.
Dr. Harsh Mahajan, the originator of Mahajan imaging, addresses some of the most frequently asked issues regarding the new vaccination.
WHEN TO TAKE NASAL VACCINE?
The nasal vaccine can only be administered to patients who have already had two doses of the vaccine, according to Dr. Mahajan.
“The government has made it clear that the present approval for this vaccine is limited to use as a precautionary dosage in persons over the age of 18.” Therefore, if you have previously taken a precautionary dose, you cannot use this remedy. This preventive dose is only available to persons who have taken two doses of Covishield, Covaxin, or, in rare situations, Sputnik V. People hesitatingly administered the precautionary dose, since it appeared that Covid’s effectiveness had diminished, accounted for approximately 30% of those receiving both doses. “These are the eligible candidates,” he continued.
IS IT SELF-ADMINISTRABLE?
“Although it is simple to administer, this will only be accessible via the CoWin platform and in designated private and public hospitals and institutions that are on the CoWin platform. Therefore, you must travel to that area to obtain the medication. Obviously, the administration is simple. In addition, it must be stored between two and eight degrees Celsius, which is the standard temperature range for a refrigerator, and must be consumed within six hours of opening and removal from the refrigerator. During that period, the same temperature must be maintained,” said Harsh Mahajan.
PROLONGED IMMUNITY
He stated that the vaccine, like other vaccines, will deliver long-lasting immunity.
“The benefit of this vaccine is that it will produce a very broad spectrum of protection as well as local immunity in the nasal passages, thereby reducing the incidence of infection in those who receive it. The transmission rate will likewise decrease. In this regard, the nasal vaccine may be superior to the others. “However, we require additional information on the duration for which it confers immunity, which we will collect over time,” Dr. Mahajan stated.
SIDE EFFECTS
According to Harsh Mahajan, nasal vaccinations are recognized to be safe. “From the testing undertaken, it is known that they are safe. It is well-known to be effective. There are extremely uncommon reports of major adverse effects. Fever, headache, and runny nose are the most common adverse effects, as they are with all vaccines. Even these are expected to be temporary. We are unaware of any long-term adverse effects,” he stated.
WHICH IS BETTER?
This is a challenging question to answer. We are still unaware of the effectiveness of this vaccine. Other boosters are already accessible in the country, and many of us have used them. Nevertheless, given that this is the first time this vaccine has been administered anywhere in the world and that it will also provide local protection, I believe this to be a viable alternative. And if I had the option, I would choose this,” Dr. Mahajan stated.
