UK scientists working on developing COVID-19 vaccine nasal spray: Report

Researchers have successfully engineered a coronavirus vaccine that can be administered through the nose using a nasal spray, according to a report published by Lancaster University.

The researchers administered two doses of the vaccine via a nasal spray in animal trials during the first stage of the vaccine development.

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The nasal spray vaccine could also provide a low-cost alternative for the developing world, as it can be scaled up using the existing global infrastructure currently in use for influenza virus vaccines, according to the researchers, offering the most economical vaccine supply worldwide.

The research indicated that there was also a significant reduction in lung pathology, inflammation and clinical disease in the rodents who received the vaccine.

Virologist from Lancaster University collaborated with researchers at the Biomedical Research Institute in Texas to investigate how effective their vaccine was against coronavirus.

“We found that administering this vaccine through a nasal spray completely protected the animals from shedding the virus which causes transmission of the virus. This means the immunization of the upper respiratory tract through a nasal spray can prevent individuals from spreading the virus and developing infections elsewhere in the body,” a doctor working on the research added.

Though the vaccine showed promising safety and efficacy in this animal model, human trials are still required to determine its applicability and to obtain regulatory approvals.

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