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New Delhi: Bharat Biotech has submitted an application to the country’s drug regulator to conduct a late-stage trial for a booster dose of its intranasal coronavirus vaccine, reported news agency ANI on Monday, quoting a source on Monday. The intranasal vaccine can be given to people vaccinated with Pune-based Serum Institute of India manufactured – Covishield or Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, the source said. The development comes as India has detected over 160 new cases of the emergent Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The country has reported 161 cases of new coronavirus variant Omicron, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday. “As of now, India has 161 Omicron cases…We are monitoring the situation daily with experts,” the minister told Rajya Sabha while replying to debate on the COVID-19 situation. He said the government has taken steps to deal with situation if the virus spreads. “With our experience during the first and second waves, to ensure that we don’t face problems if variant spreads, we have arranged a buffer stock of important medicines.”
India has not considered authorising booster doses yet as many in the country have been naturally infected and the government believes two vaccine doses offer sufficient protection for now, sources reportedly told news agency Reuters late last month.
(With agency inputs)
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