Scientists in Germany have made significant breakthroughs with a new nasal vaccine against Covid-19. The vaccine has shown promising early results in hamster experiments, where it was able to completely eliminate the virus from the animals' upper airways after just two doses.
The vaccine uses a live but weakened form of the coronavirus, which is similar to how some other vaccines work. However, unlike traditional injectable vaccines, this nasal vaccine can be delivered directly into the nose and throat, where the virus first enters the body.
According to studies published in the journal Nature Microbiology, two doses of the vaccine were able to create a much stronger immune response than two doses of an mRNA-based vaccine or one that uses an adenovirus to ferry its instructions into cells. The researchers believe that this approach could be more effective at preventing infection and reducing the severity of Covid-19 symptoms.
The nasal vaccine works by mimicking the process of a natural infection, with the weakened virus being presented to the immune system in a way that allows it to build up immunity against future infections. This approach has been used before, dating back to the 1870s, but its revival is seen as promising given the ongoing need for effective Covid-19 vaccines.
The research team behind the vaccine, led by Dr. Emanuel Wyler, has partnered with a Swiss company called RocketVax to start phase I clinical trials in humans. The results of these trials are expected to be announced soon, although it's unclear how well the vaccine will perform in real-world settings.
Other nasal vaccines for Covid-19 are also in various stages of development and testing, including some that use harmless adenoviruses to deliver their instructions into cells. While some have shown promising results, others have struggled to raise sufficient funding or overcome technical challenges.
Despite these developments, researchers remain cautious about the prospects for this new approach. Respiratory infections can be notoriously difficult to target with inhaled vaccines, and there are concerns that even a weakened form of the virus could pose risks to certain populations, such as those with compromised immune systems.
However, Wyler notes that while it's true that "even a strongly attenuated virus is still a real virus," he believes that this one has been effectively hobbled through genetic modification. The key will be to carefully test and refine this vaccine in humans before it's widely available.
For now, the emergence of this new nasal vaccine represents a promising development in the ongoing quest for effective Covid-19 treatments. With its potential to prevent infection and reduce symptoms, it could help bring an end to the pandemic – or at least make life easier for those already living with the virus.
The vaccine uses a live but weakened form of the coronavirus, which is similar to how some other vaccines work. However, unlike traditional injectable vaccines, this nasal vaccine can be delivered directly into the nose and throat, where the virus first enters the body.
According to studies published in the journal Nature Microbiology, two doses of the vaccine were able to create a much stronger immune response than two doses of an mRNA-based vaccine or one that uses an adenovirus to ferry its instructions into cells. The researchers believe that this approach could be more effective at preventing infection and reducing the severity of Covid-19 symptoms.
The nasal vaccine works by mimicking the process of a natural infection, with the weakened virus being presented to the immune system in a way that allows it to build up immunity against future infections. This approach has been used before, dating back to the 1870s, but its revival is seen as promising given the ongoing need for effective Covid-19 vaccines.
The research team behind the vaccine, led by Dr. Emanuel Wyler, has partnered with a Swiss company called RocketVax to start phase I clinical trials in humans. The results of these trials are expected to be announced soon, although it's unclear how well the vaccine will perform in real-world settings.
Other nasal vaccines for Covid-19 are also in various stages of development and testing, including some that use harmless adenoviruses to deliver their instructions into cells. While some have shown promising results, others have struggled to raise sufficient funding or overcome technical challenges.
Despite these developments, researchers remain cautious about the prospects for this new approach. Respiratory infections can be notoriously difficult to target with inhaled vaccines, and there are concerns that even a weakened form of the virus could pose risks to certain populations, such as those with compromised immune systems.
However, Wyler notes that while it's true that "even a strongly attenuated virus is still a real virus," he believes that this one has been effectively hobbled through genetic modification. The key will be to carefully test and refine this vaccine in humans before it's widely available.
For now, the emergence of this new nasal vaccine represents a promising development in the ongoing quest for effective Covid-19 treatments. With its potential to prevent infection and reduce symptoms, it could help bring an end to the pandemic – or at least make life easier for those already living with the virus.
I'm so hyped about this new nasal vaccine! The fact that it's showing promising results in hamster experiments is a huge step forward. Delivering the vaccine directly into the nose and throat makes total sense, especially considering how Covid-19 targets those areas first. It's crazy that researchers have been working on this approach since the 1870s, but I guess you can say old ideas are new again! 
The key is to carefully test and refine it in humans, though - we don't want any risks associated with weakened viruses. Fingers crossed it all works out! 
think this is a game changer 
if it works as promised, no more worrying about injections, just pop a pill or get sprayed in the nose and your good to go 
plus less chance of allergic reactions 
would be sick to see this become a reality ASAP 
This new nasal vaccine thingy is actually kinda cool, you know? I mean, who wouldn't want a vaccine that just goes straight into your nose and throat instead of getting all injected and stuff? 
I mean, can you believe how far we've come since SARS? We're still dealing with Covid-19 years later! 
Anyway, this new nasal vaccine is super cool, and the fact that it's been around for decades, but not really effective until now... gives me hope. I remember my grandma talking about a similar concept back in the 70s when she was working on vaccines. Fingers crossed it works out in humans! 
Maybe we can finally put this pandemic to rest?
.
. I mean, who wouldn't want to fight Covid-19 from the comfort of their own nose? 
But seriously, it's awesome that scientists are trying out new approaches. The fact that it's already shown promise in hamster experiments is a big deal 
.
.
!
. I mean, imagine being able to fight Covid-19 without having to inject anything into your body 
. The fact that it's been able to completely eliminate the virus from hamster experiments after just two doses is crazy 
. The fact that it's been around since the 1870s and has been revived now shows that it might actually work 
. And let's be real, who doesn't want a vaccine that you can just sniff into your nose? 
.
. I mean, a nasal vaccine that can just give you a small dose of Covid-19 and your body will be like "oh, I got it, let's not mess around" 
. The only thing that worries me is how well it'll do in real life and not just in hamsters 
. What if it doesn't work as expected? What if it causes more problems than it solves? And what about all those other nasal vaccines that are in development? We need to see some serious, rigorous testing before we start handing out shots like candy 
.
. I'm all for innovation and progress, but when it comes to something as serious as Covid-19, I think we need to be extra cautious before we start rolling out vaccines that could potentially put lives at risk 
. Let's wait and see how these trials go down before we start celebrating 
The fact that it's been done before but fell by the wayside is wild. Like, what happened in the 1870s? Did we all just forget how to do this or was it just not feasible back then? And now we've got a whole new generation of scientists trying again and hopefully making it stick. Fingers crossed for these guys!