Bharat Biotech’s intranasal Covid vaccine has been approved by the Union Health Ministry for inclusion in the vaccination programme as a booster dose for those above 18 years of age. The needle-free vaccine will be available in private hospitals for a booster dose in the initial phase.

The nasal vaccine, BBV154, had earlier received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India in November for restricted use in an emergency situation for those above 18 as a heterologous booster dose. The intranasal vaccine has several advantages because the nasal route has excellent potential for vaccination due to the organized immune systems of the nasal mucosa.

The vaccine will also be introduced on CoWIN, the government’s web portal where one gets registered for vaccination.