Explainer: Here's all you need to know about Covid-19 nasal vaccine

As the Union Health Ministry has given approval to Bharat Biotechs needlefree intranasal Covid vaccine as a booster dose for those above 18 years of age the doctors in the city are now receiving queries about the vaccineOn Tuesday the Centre approved the cost of Bharat Biotechs nasal COVID19 vaccine iNCOVACC at Rs 800 for private hospitals and Rs 325 for government ones The vaccine will be rolled out in the fourth week of JanuaryThe iNCOVACC nasal vaccine is already been listed on the CoWIN portal by the government and the vaccine will soon be available at private vaccination centres Health experts have responded to a few queries of the general publicAre nasal vaccines better than conventional vaccine shotsWhile many people are in doubt that they can mix and match different vaccines according to health experts there is no proven benefit According to a Mumbaibased doctor physiologically nasal vaccines have a theoretical benefit over conventional vaccination However they have not been convincingly proven to be more beneficial than conventional vaccinesWhat are the benefits or advantages of a nasal vaccineNasal vaccines have several advantages They do not require injections so there is no pain and need for trained personnelExplaining the advantages Dr Sanjith Saseedharan Consultant and HeadCritical Care SL Raheja Hospital Mahim said ldquoNasal vaccines are considered mucosal vaccines which means they stimulate the immune system at the site where the vaccine is administered This can lead to the production of local antibodies at the site of application as well as the production of antibodies throughout the body This local immune response may halt the spread of the illness or help prevent the virus from entering the bodyrdquoThe production process for these vaccines is also simpler which makes it easier to produce and deliver to the populationIs it a good idea to mix and match different Covid vaccinesldquoWhat is clear is that when vaccines are used from different platforms then the immunity gained also called lsquoheterologous immunityrsquo is better than the homologous or same vaccine usage However the clinical effectiveness of any form of protocol still lies in the fact that both would prevent a severe illness when it comes to Covid19rdquo explained Dr SaseedharanAlso read Covid19 People now reluctant to undergo RTPCR testsWho is eligible for nasal vaccineAs far as nasal vaccines are concerned those people who have already taken a booster vaccine or booster dose can take a nasal vaccine as a precautionary dose Dr Manish Pendse Senior Consultant Physician Medicover Hospitals saidWho shouldnrsquot opt for a nasal vaccineAt the moment pregnant women and individuals less than 18 years should not receive the nasal vaccine as there is no data available on its safety and effectiveness in these subgroupsDr Saseedharan explained ldquoIndividuals who have hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients in the vaccine such as Sodium Chloride Magnesium Chloride Glycerol or Polysorbate should also not receive the vaccine It may not be advisable for people with a history of severe allergic reactions to vaccines or injectable medications as well as individuals with allergies to food pet dander venom or latexrdquoHe added ldquoThose with current infections or fever should also avoid the vaccine There is no information available on the effectiveness of the nasal vaccine in immunocompromised individuals including HIV and transplant recipients on immunosuppressionrdquoWhat are the side effects of iNCOVACCAs per the factsheet shared by Bharat Biotech side effects that have been reported include headache fever running nose and sneezing It also mentions lsquoA severe allergic reaction may very rarely occur after getting a dose of iNCOVACC however no such event was reported in the clinical trialrsquoCan a person who has already taken a booster dose also opt for a nasal vaccine as another precautionary doseldquoThere is no scientific information yet available on the appropriateness of the use of a nasal vaccine in such a situationrdquo mentioned the doctorAre there demands for nasal vaccines at the hospitals vaccination centreYes patients are enquiring about these vaccines and this is mostly due to the theoretical benefits and the absence of injectionAlso Read Covid19 We must prepare for the worst say expertsQueriesdoubts about the nasal vaccine asked by the public so farSpeaking about the queries asked by the general public Dr Saseedharan said ldquoThe doubts were around the rationale of whether the nasal vaccine will give them Covid19 There are concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccine due to the lack of data available in the public domain on its efficacy and side effects through this unconventional method of vaccinationrdquoHe further added ldquoA significant portion of the population is inquiring about whether this vaccine can be given as a booster dose after receiving either Covishield or CovaxinrdquoDoes vaccine hesitancy still exist in publicAccording to the doctors the level of vaccine hesitancy has reduced in the general publicDr Manish Pendse said ldquoIn the first phase of the vaccination drive there were a lot of queries from the patients but as time went by and probably to some extent the government also made it mandatory for travel purposes so people have been very proactive in taking the vaccination Now the doubts and hesitancy are slightly lessrdquoHe added ldquoOne problem which we faced during the vaccination drive was about general allergies to patients But eventually you know even those people have been given the vaccinerdquo