There’s a new generation of vaccines coming up against coronavirus and they’re not your usual ones. The new vaccines may be a nasal spray that needs a squirt up the nose rather than a jab on the arm. Here’s the low down on it:
What Is A Nasal Vaccine?
A nasal vaccine is also formally called an “intranasal” vaccine. It is administered by squirting or spraying the solution into the nostrils of an individual unlike your regular vaccine injected into the arm.
Is It Effective?
Clearly, there must be some advantages or benefits of it that is making researchers focus on it now.
In a human trial, the self-administered treatment showed an extremely promising efficacy rate. It showed up to 99% drop in the “viral load” within 72 hours, according to a Reuters report. Moreover, nasal vaccines are more preferred by people according to researchers.
Huge Studies in The Process
There are exciting developments for the nasal vaccine underway. A trial — fully randomised, double-blinded and placebo-controlled — involved 7,000 participants. For a phase 2 test, this is a decent setup. The results from this study have not come out yet but the first phase was successful.
Moreover, experts from Lancaster University in England and Texas Biomedical Research Institute reported that their nasal spray vaccine shows “promise”. The new type of vaccine against coronavirus is able to kick up antibodies that are sufficient to suppress it. In animal experiments, the vaccine also reduced lung damage, inflammation and disease severity in mice.
What Is The Efficacy Needed For Nasal Vaccines?
Nasal vaccines for coronavirus have been demanded to have an efficacy of 50% at least. This benchmark is set by the World Health Organisation as a rule before the vaccines may be approved and distributed.
Who All Is Developing One?
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) vaccine “landscape” shows multiple companies with nasal vaccines in the making. These companies are making billions of doses of nasal-spray vaccines against COVID-19 and testing them.
At least eight research groups are working on such projects as we can see from the list.
Is This The First Time You’re Hearing of Nasal Vaccines?
If this is the first time you’re hearing of this form of vaccines and feeling unsure, don’t worry. Besides respiratory infections, the nasal method has been used to deliver vaccines even for sexually transmitted infections. This is reported by the US National Institutes of Health.
The rationale for targeting mucosal tissue is because of the virus of coronavirus beginning through the nose. Targeting that route may be more effective for protecting people.
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