All you need to know about Bharat Biotech’s single-dose intranasal Covid vaccine

As India is fighting against the second deadly wave of coronavirus, the companies producing anti-viral vaccines are either ramping up their production or coming up with an ‘alternative’ to the needle jab.

Hyderabad based- Bharat Biotech has come up with an ‘intranasal’ Covid vaccine, which could prove as a game-changer in the nation’s fight against the disease. The vaccine producer company has also kicked off the clinical trial if the same to check its immune response in the human body.

Apparently, it is learned that coronavirus enters the human body through the mucosa, and an intranasal dose to prevent infection could be effective to minimize the detrimental effects this virus can cause.

According to scientists, the intranasal vaccine establishes the immune response in 14 days. It will eventually reduce the virus load in the mucosa, a nasal cavity from where the virus enters the body and affects the respiratory system.

Niti Aayog member Dr. VK Paul asserted that if the nasal spray vaccine shows the efficacy in the trials, it would prove as a game changer as people could get the dose themselves too.

According to the Bharat Biotech’s MD Krishna Alla, the injectable vaccines are only capable of protecting the lower lungs hence, the upper lungs and the nose is not protected.

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'If you take a single dose of nasal vaccine, you can prevent infection. This will also help in breaking the transmission chain,” he added.

Mr. Krishna further asserted, “Intranasal vaccine is similar to the polio vaccine. You just have to take four drops, two in each nostril at a time.”

 It may be noted here that the current vaccines- Covishield and Covaxin are being administered using a syringe and India would require nearly 260 crore injections to inoculate the entire population. These two vaccines have received approval for emergency use. Needle injected vaccines develop the protective level of antibodies after two weeks of inoculation.

On the positive side, the intranasal vaccine is a single-dose drug and has lesser side effects than other vaccines.

Pertinently, Bharat Biotech in September 2020 had signed an agreement with the Washington University School of Medicine to develop an intranasal vaccine. The pre-clinical trial of the vaccine candidate, BBV154 is already underway. So far, 175 people have received the vial of anti-viral nasal spray and they are divided into three groups. There are 70 volunteers in the first and second group while 35 have been put in the third group.

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According to the information, the first group would receive the single dose in their first visit and the placebo on the 28^th day after getting a jab. While, the second group will be given two doses of the intranasal vaccine, one on their first visit followed by another dose on the 28^th day. The third group would either receive the placebo or first dose of nasal spray on the first day or the 28th day or could only be inoculated with the intranasal vaccine only.

If the vaccine shows efficacy, the clinical trials would be concluded by June. Thus, an intranasal vaccine can be rolled out in the market by August.

Benefits of intranasal Covid vaccine:

1.   Non-invasive, no use of a needle to administer the dose

2.   Develops potential immune response in the nasal mucosa

3.   Reduces the risk of chronic respiratory infections

4.   Easy to administer as healthcare workers will require any training for the inoculation

5.   Needle associated injuries and infections risks could be eliminated

6.   Suitable for all age groups

7.   Easy to produce and meet the market demand

8.   Reduces the possibility of vaccine waste

9.   Could be taken anywhere, less storage problem

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