Science and Technology
Context: Ramping up its anti-Covid measures amid a surge in cases in other countries, mainly China, the Government has added Bharat Biotech’s intranasal vaccine Incovacc to its vaccination programme as a mix-and-match, or heterologous, booster dose.
About Incovacc:
- Incovacc is the world’s first intranasal vaccine to be approved as a booster dose.
- iNCOVACC, co-developed by Bharat Biotech and the U.S.-based Washington University, was approved in November for ‘restricted emergency use’ for those aged 18 or older.
- The nasal vaccine is approved both as a primary dose and a heterologous booster.
- Unlike Covaxin, which is an inactivated coronavirus injected along with an adjuvant, iNCOVACC is an adenovirus-vectored vaccine with a “prefusion stabilised spike protein”, which is more like the technology employed in the Covishield vaccines.
Advantages:
- It promises to become an important tool in mass vaccinations during pandemics and endemics.
- It is easy to administer as it is non-invasive and does not require trained health care workers.
- It also eliminates needle-associated risks such as injuries and infections, has higher compliance and is scalable as far as manufacturing is concerned.
- The sprays don’t need to be refrigerated.
Source: Indian Express
Previous Year Questions
Q.1) In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements:
- The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform.
- Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector based platform.
- COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen based vaccine.
Which of the statements given above are correct? (2022)
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Q.2) Consider the following statements in respect of probiotics :
- Probiotics are made of both bacteria and yeast.
- The organisms in probiotics are found in foods we ingest but they do not naturally occur in our gut.
- Probiotics help in the digestion of milk sugars.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (2022)
- 1 only
- 2 only
- 1 and 3
- 2 and 3
