As India is fighting against the second deadly wave ofcoronavirus, the companies producing anti-viral vaccines are either ramping uptheir 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 fightagainst the disease. The vaccine producer company has also kicked off theclinical trial if the same to check its immune response in the human body.
Apparently, it is learned that coronavirus enters thehuman body through the mucosa, and an intranasal dose to prevent infection could beeffective to minimize the detrimental effects this virus can cause.
According to scientists, the intranasal vaccineestablishes the immune response in 14 days. It will eventually reduce the virusload in the mucosa, a nasal cavity from where the virus enters the body andaffects the respiratory system.
Niti Aayog member Dr. VK Paul asserted that if the nasalspray vaccine shows the efficacy in the trials, it would prove as a gamechanger as people could get the dose themselves too.
According to the Bharat Biotech’s MD Krishna Alla, theinjectable vaccines are only capable of protecting the lower lungs hence, theupper lungs and the nose is not protected.
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'If you take a single dose of nasal vaccine, you canprevent infection. This will also help in breaking the transmission chain,” headded.
Mr. Krishna further asserted, “Intranasal vaccine issimilar to the polio vaccine. You just have to take four drops, two in each nostrilat a time.”
It may be notedhere that the current vaccines- Covishield and Covaxin are being administeredusing a syringe and India would require nearly 260 crore injections toinoculate the entire population. These two vaccines have received approval for emergency use. Needle injected vaccines develop the protective level ofantibodies after two weeks of inoculation.
On the positive side, the intranasal vaccine is asingle-dose drug and has lesser side effects than other vaccines.
Pertinently, Bharat Biotech in September 2020 had signed anagreement with the Washington University School of Medicine to develop anintranasal vaccine. The pre-clinical trial of the vaccine candidate, BBV154 isalready underway. So far, 175 people have received the vial of anti-viral nasalspray and they are divided into three groups. There are 70 volunteers in thefirst and second group while 35 have been put in the third group.
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According to the information, the first group wouldreceive the single dose in their first visit and the placebo on the 28thday after getting a jab. While, the second group will be given two doses of theintranasal vaccine, one on their first visit followed by another dose on the 28thday. The third group would either receive the placebo or first dose of nasalspray on the first day or the 28th day or could only be inoculated with theintranasal vaccine only.
If the vaccine shows efficacy, the clinical trialswould be concluded by June. Thus, an intranasal vaccine can be rolled out inthe market by August.
Benefits of intranasal Covid vaccine:
1. Non-invasive,no use of a needle to administer the dose
2. Developspotential immune response in the nasal mucosa
3. Reducesthe risk of chronic respiratory infections
4. Easyto administer as healthcare workers will require any training for theinoculation
5. Needleassociated injuries and infections risks could be eliminated
6. Suitablefor all age groups
7. Easyto produce and meet the market demand
8. Reducesthe possibility of vaccine waste
9. Couldbe taken anywhere, less storage problem
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