Intranasal vaccine may block COVID-19 where it starts

[2greys]

Research by Lancaster University scientists to create a COVID-19 vaccine which can be administered through the nose has taken a significant step forward.

The pre-clinical animal trials of the intranasal vaccine showed a reduction in both the impact of the disease itself and transmission of the virus.

The findings – published today in the journal iScience – open the door to addressing global health and vaccine inequalities.

Researchers immunised hamsters with two doses of the vaccine, and found they showed complete protection from lung infection, inflammation and pathological lesions following exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Importantly, two doses of the intranasal vaccine were found to significantly reduce the virus “shedding” from the nose and lungs of the hamsters – suggesting the vaccine has the potential to control infection at the site of inoculation. This should prevent both clinical disease and virus transmission, to halt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virologist Dr Muhammad Munir led the study and worked alongside a team of scientists from Lancaster University, in collaboration with researchers from Texas Biomedical Research Institute, USA.

lancaster.ac.uk/methods-lan...

iScience. Pre-proof Research Paper (PDF file):

cell.com/iscience/pdf/S2589...

[Alberta56]

That sounds very promising. Hope you have a new washer by now and that you have suffered no ill effects from hauling the old one out.

[2greys in reply to Alberta56]

That is going to be at least a week, we can hold out until then

[Jaybird19]

says it also reduces the transmission from the nose. now that would prove to be a winner