The Union Health Ministry has given approval to Bharat Biotech's intranasal Covid vaccine for inclusion in the vaccination programme as a booster dose for those above 18 years of age, official sources said. The needle-free vaccine will be available at private vaccination centres.

The approval for the vaccine comes amid a spurt in Covid cases in China and some other countries. "The needle-free vaccine will be introduced on the Co-WIN platform on Friday evening," they said.