Bharat Biotech Applied for Phase III Trial of Booster Dose of Nasal Vaccine

The country’s leading biotechnology company Bharat Biotech has applied to the DGCI (Pharmaceutical Controller General of India) for the Phase III trial of a booster dose of its nasal anti-Covid vaccine. Giving this information on Monday, sources said that this booster dose can be given to those people who have got any of the vaccine either Covaxin or Covishield.

As we all know these days the country is currently at risk of a new and more infectious Omicron variant of the corona virus. Cases of infection have started increasing once again in the country and it is feared that by February next year, the third wave of corona pandemic may come in the country. Day by day the cases of the variant of the corona virus are increasing that too in different states. Even to counter it the international flights are also called off till the new year i.e. January 2022. Some reports suggest that the nasal vaccine may provide protection against the Omicron variant.

‘Vaccines can be improved for new variants’

Dr. Randeep Guleria, the Director of the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has said that some changes can be made in the existing vaccines to protect against the new variant of the corona virus. His remarks come amid fears of a threat from Omicron. He said that we will have second generation vaccines. This is something we should keep in mind. Existing vaccines are effective but immunity is reduced in case of newer variants.

Nasal vaccine may prove to be effective

According to health experts, many viruses like SARS-CoV-2 normally enter the body through the mucosa. It is a tissue present in the nose. The virus infects cells and molecules present in the mucosal membrane. In such a situation, by giving a dose of vaccine to the person through the nose, a virus can be eliminated before it enters the body.

According to experts, the nasal vaccine produces immunoglobulin A (IgA), which can inhibit the virus by producing a strong immune response in the nose itself, the site of entry of the virus. It helps fight infection and also prevents transmission. Nasal vaccines produce a strong and effective mucosal immune response.