The New York Times: The Covid Vaccine We Need Now May Not Be a Shot

Experts in India have begun research on a COVID-19 vaccine that would be applied nasally rather than injected into the bloodstream. With the rise of variants such as Omicron, current COVID-19 vaccines have seen a decrease in long-term protection against the coronavirus. Nasal vaccines could be a solution because COVID-19 first lands in the mucosal linings of the airways. Immunologists worldwide have promoted the further development of nasal vaccines due to their prevention of long-term infection and efficiency. Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine would be more efficient since they do not require injection skills, take less time to administer, and would not be affected by shortages in needles and syringes. There are currently a dozen of nasal vaccines in development, some have been approved for phase 3 trials with Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine being the furthest along. The full article by Apoorva Mandavilli can be read here on The New York Times. For more on COVID-19 vaccines click here.