3 lakh new nasal vaccine doses shipped to hospitals: Bharat Biotech

New Delhi: Bharat Biotech executive chairman Krishna Ella informed on Sunday that the company shipped three lakh doses of its intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to certain hospitals a couple of days ago, PTI reported.

Speaking at an event where a bilateral agreement was signed between the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Global Health Institute (GHI) and the Ella Foundation for the establishment of the first-ever UW-Madison One Health Centre in Bengaluru, he said, "We dispatched three lakh doses of the world's first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to some hospitals two days ago."

iNCOVACC, the world's first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, was launched on January 26. It is also the world's first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to receive approval for the primary 2-dose schedule and as a heterologous booster dose for adults.

The vaccine is now available on CoWIN and priced at ₹ 800 for private markets and ₹ 325 for the government of India and state governments.

Ella added that some countries and international agencies are approaching their company to buy the vaccine, which is administered through the nasal passage.

Further, he said that UW-Madison One Health Centre in Bengaluru is scheduled to become operational in 2023 end. It will further the development and production of vaccines in India. The partnership will also enable collaboration across disciplines and geographic boundaries, provide Indian students and researchers access to UW expertise and training, and build research capacity in India, Ella said.

He said, "Both Ella Foundation and UW-Madison GHI share a common vision to advance innovation in science, research, and knowledge sharing. Establishing the UW-Madison Global One Health Centre holds great significance as it will advance global health through research, education, and community engagement by facilitating student and faculty exchanges, research and education."

Later, UW-Madison GHI director Jorge Osorio said, "We are energised by the opportunity to partner with the Ella Foundation to bring UW knowledge and expertise to expand innovative and impactful health initiatives outside Wisconsin to India."

PTI writes that India One Health Centre joins a global network that includes Africa and Latin America and will open new opportunities for research and education and provide actionable outcomes to benefit humans, animals, and ecosystems that advance equitable and sustainable health across India and the world.