India approves its first nasal vaccine for Covid

India yesterday approved a locally developed, needle-free and nasally administered Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, in a boost to the country's homegrown pharmaceutical industry.

The new inoculation was developed by Bharat Biotech, which had already developed an intravenous product greenlit by the World Health Organization last November, reports AFP.

India's drug regulator gave the new product emergency authorisation yesterday, which will allow it to be used as a primary dose by any unvaccinated or partially vaccinated adult, but not as a booster.

"This step will further strengthen our collective fight against the pandemic," health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Twitter.

Bharat Biotech said in a statement last month that it had conducted two successful efficacy trials for the vaccine.

Data from the trials has yet to be given a wider release and it remains unclear when the product will be available for public use.