With the booster dose for Covid 19 still being under process in India, Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella said that the ideal time for a booster dose is six months.
He said that with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself talking about the Covaxin vaccine, he showed confidence in Indian science.
He said, “What would a scientist like to have? A country head taking his vaccine. That is the best satisfaction a scientist can get… It shows confidence in the Indian science, confidence in the startup, and confidence in our innovation…”.
He further stated that Bharat Biotech was the first company in the world to have developed the Zika vaccine.
Further emphasizing the importance of a nasal vaccine for a booster dose. Ella said that the capacity for the nasal vaccine being much speedier than the traditional one is high. He said that the entire world is looking at nasal vaccines as the only way to stop the transmission.
“We are coming out with a nasal vaccine, we are thinking that Covaxin can be given as the first dose, the second dose can be given a nasal, that is also strategically, scientifically very important because with the second dose if it is a nasal one, you stop the transmission of the virus,” Ella said.
He added that the Nasal vaccine would work well if someone has been infected or has been vaccinated with one dose.
The nasal vaccine works well if someone has been infected or if someone has been vaccinated with one dose, he added.
Talking further about the company, he informed that Bharat Biotech is ready with a vaccine for Zika Virus. Phase I for the same is complete and the government is ready to take up more trials with the cases increasing.
“We were the first company in the world to develop the Zika vaccine in 2014. We were the first one to file for a global patent for Zika vaccine”, he added.
