After Covaxin, Bharat Biotech has moved on to its next mission of
getting approval for a nasal COVID-19 vaccine, which unlike all vaccines, is
not a jab, but a spray and hence, easy to administer to children.

The vaccine will be given to schoolgoing children who bear a ‘very
mild’ load of the disease but still have the potential to spread the disease, All
India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Randeep Guleria said on
Wednesday, PTI reported.

The noted pulmonologist, who was interacting with the personnel of the
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) during their 16th Raising Day celebrations, said that people
who have already contracted coronavirus should get the jab about 4-6 weeks
after recovery.

“It (coronavirus infection) is very mild in children but they are
infectious. They can spread the disease. The vaccines that have
come are not approved for children because there have been no studies conducted
on children but this (vaccination) is a very important step and trials are
being done,” he said.

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Once schools reopen, the children will be at a greater risk of
contracting the disease and further spreading it to their family members, the
chief of AIIMS said.

“Vaccines for children may come later…Bharat Biotech is trying to
get approved a nasal vaccine. Such a vaccine will be very easy to be given to
children as it is a spray and not a jab and hence compliance is more. In half-an-hour you can vaccinate an entire class. So, if that (nasal
vaccine) is approved it will be even easier to give the vaccine (for
COVID-19),” Guleria said in reply to a question.

He was also asked by the NDRF personnel if a person who has recovered
from COVID-19 should get vaccinated with India commissioning two vaccines last
week.

“A vaccine jab is essential for them (recovered from coronavirus)
due to two reasons. One is you are not sure how strong is your post COVID-19
immunity and it has been seen quite a few times that those who had a mild to
moderate infection their anti-body response has been less and we also don’t
know how long will it be,” he said.

A vaccine will be ‘beneficial’ for such an individual as it will act as
a ‘booster’ and if anti-bodies are depleting, with the vaccine it will be back
to a high level, he said.

“So, you should get the vaccine if you have been infected with
COVID-19 but if it has happened recently say like 7-10 days then one should
wait and take the jab after may be 4-6 weeks,” Guleria said.