Nasal Vaccine: What are the benefits of Intranasal Vaccine and how to book it on CoWin App?

Bharat Biotech's nasal vaccine iNCOVACC has been authorised as a booster dose, according to Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya. The intranasal Covid vaccine from Bharat Biotech will be offered in private facilities and will be unveiled on CoWIN on Friday night.

आज हम तैयार है देश की मेडिसिन की जरूरत और वैक्सीन की जरूरत पूरा करने के लिए।

एक्सपर्ट कमेटी ने Nasal vaccine को अनुमोदित कर दिया है। ये भी भारत ने, भारत के वैज्ञानिकों ने विकसित कर दिया है। ये उनकी उपलब्धि है।

कोविड के सामने लड़ने की पूरी तैयारी हमने की है। pic.twitter.com/4lyJZAUSFU

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 22, 2022

The nasal vaccine iNCOVACC will be made available for use as a heterologous booster, first in private hospitals. And Citizens can easily register for the World’s first intranasal booster shot from the CoWin portal.

What is a nasal vaccine?

A nasal vaccine is one that is given to a person through the nose without the use of a needle. Through the nose's inner surface, which naturally comes into contact with many airborne microbes, it promotes immunity.

According to experts, an intranasal vaccine can fight off the virus even before it tries to cross the body's protective barrier. Instead, because they rely on immune cells that have been mobilised from elsewhere in the body to flock to the site of infection, intramuscular vaccines typically fail to elicit this mucosal response.

iNCOVACC, World's first intranasal vaccine to receive both primary series and Heterologous booster approval. #bharatbiotech #incovacc #intranasalvaccine #vaccine #COVID19 #VaccinesWork #VaccineDevelopment #Booster #COVID #pandemic #firstintranasalvaccine pic.twitter.com/jyTebvwiT6

— BharatBiotech (@BharatBiotech) November 28, 2022

What is Bharat Biotech's needleless intransal covid vaccine?

What are the benefits of the World’s First Intranasal Covid-19 vaccine iNCOVACC?

Intranasal immunization of ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S can create an immune response in the nose, which is the point of entry for the virus thereby protecting against disease, infection, and transmission. Other beneficial features of 

• IgG, mucosal IgA, and T cell responses are all neutralised by an intranasal vaccine's broad immune response.
• The prevention of COVID-19 infection and transmission depends heavily on immune reactions at the infection site.
• Because the nasal mucosa has a well-organized immune system, the nasal route has excellent potential for vaccination.
• Easy administration doesn't need medical personnel with specialised training.
• elimination of dangers related to needles.
• High compliance is ideal for both adults and children.
• scalable manufacturing capabilities to satisfy demand worldwide.
• In controlled trials, the single-dose intranasal vaccine has been shown to be secure, well-tolerated, and immunogenic in humans.
• It is anticipated that the new addition to Bharat Biotech will aid in the implementation of mass immunisation.
• Through the secretion of mucosal antibodies, it may provide cross-protection against variant strains as well as defence against infections at other mucosal sites, such as the lungs and intestines.

How to book Booster Dose or Shot on CoWin App?

1. Open CoWIN portal - www.cowin.gov.in
2. Login by entering your registered mobile number and the OTP.
3. On the next page, you will be able to see details of your previous jabs. Click on the Schedule option next to the precautionary dose.
4. Find the nearest vaccination centre either by using a PIN Code or by State and District.
5. Pick the date and time as per the availability
6. Click on the confirm button.

Remember, State vaccination facilities and private hospitals update their vaccination schedules every day at 8 AM, 12 PM, 4 PM, and 8 PM. You can only conduct 20 searches in a 15-minute period, and the booster dose is available to anyone 12 years of age or older. Avoid abusing the search bar excessively to avoid a 24-hour account suspension.

The Indian government has fully prepared and strengthened the surveillance system for whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network to ensure the prompt detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country. This follows an increased surge of COVID-19 in the neighbouring countries.