Scientists in Germany claim to have developed a nasal vaccine that can prevent Covid-19 infection by blocking the virus from replicating in the nose and throat. The vaccine uses a live but weakened form of the coronavirus and has shown promising results in hamster studies, achieving "sterilizing immunity" and preventing illness.
In the experiments, two doses of the vaccine blocked the virus from copying itself in the animals' upper airways, leading to "sterilizing immunity". This is a long-sought goal of Covid-19 research. The researchers believe that this approach could be more effective than current vaccines, which primarily boost immune defenses throughout the body.
The nasal vaccine is made with a weakened form of the coronavirus and closely mimics the process of a natural infection. It also previews the entire coronavirus for the body, not just its spike proteins, making it harder for the virus to evade the immune system.
However, experts caution that more research is needed before this vaccine can be widely used. "They did a very nice job," said Dr. Greg Poland, who designs vaccines at the Mayo Clinic. "But now it needs to be repeated" in primates and humans before it can be approved for use.
The study began in 2021, before the Omicron variant emerged, so the vaccine tested was made with the original strain of the coronavirus. When infected animals were given the live but weakened nasal vaccine, it performed better than other vaccines, but its ability to neutralize the virus was diminished.
Researchers are now working on phase I clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in humans. Meanwhile, several other nasal vaccines for Covid-19 have reached late-stage testing in people, including ones from China, India, and the US.
One such vaccine uses a harmless adenovirus to deliver its instructions into cells, while another is being developed by a company called Codagenix using a live but weakened version of the virus. The results of these studies are expected later this year.
The German team is eagerly waiting for the Codagenix data, which could provide insight into whether this approach is promising or not. However, respiratory infections have proven to be tough targets for inhaled vaccines, and fluMist, a live but weakened form of the flu virus, only works reasonably well in children.
Despite these challenges, some experts see promise in this approach, citing examples like the vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella, which also uses live attenuated viruses. However, caution is needed due to concerns about people with compromised immunity being unable to take live vaccines. "Although it's strongly attenuated, it's still a real virus," said Emanuel Wyler, one of the researchers.
In the experiments, two doses of the vaccine blocked the virus from copying itself in the animals' upper airways, leading to "sterilizing immunity". This is a long-sought goal of Covid-19 research. The researchers believe that this approach could be more effective than current vaccines, which primarily boost immune defenses throughout the body.
The nasal vaccine is made with a weakened form of the coronavirus and closely mimics the process of a natural infection. It also previews the entire coronavirus for the body, not just its spike proteins, making it harder for the virus to evade the immune system.
However, experts caution that more research is needed before this vaccine can be widely used. "They did a very nice job," said Dr. Greg Poland, who designs vaccines at the Mayo Clinic. "But now it needs to be repeated" in primates and humans before it can be approved for use.
The study began in 2021, before the Omicron variant emerged, so the vaccine tested was made with the original strain of the coronavirus. When infected animals were given the live but weakened nasal vaccine, it performed better than other vaccines, but its ability to neutralize the virus was diminished.
Researchers are now working on phase I clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in humans. Meanwhile, several other nasal vaccines for Covid-19 have reached late-stage testing in people, including ones from China, India, and the US.
One such vaccine uses a harmless adenovirus to deliver its instructions into cells, while another is being developed by a company called Codagenix using a live but weakened version of the virus. The results of these studies are expected later this year.
The German team is eagerly waiting for the Codagenix data, which could provide insight into whether this approach is promising or not. However, respiratory infections have proven to be tough targets for inhaled vaccines, and fluMist, a live but weakened form of the flu virus, only works reasonably well in children.
Despite these challenges, some experts see promise in this approach, citing examples like the vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella, which also uses live attenuated viruses. However, caution is needed due to concerns about people with compromised immunity being unable to take live vaccines. "Although it's strongly attenuated, it's still a real virus," said Emanuel Wyler, one of the researchers.
this nasal vaccine thing sounds super promising but we need to keep it real - there's still so much research that needs to be done before it can even think about being widely used 
. I mean, two hamster studies aren't exactly gonna give us all the answers 
. And what about people with compromised immunity? That's a big concern for me 
. We need to make sure this vaccine is safe and effective for everyone, not just those who are healthy enough to take it 
.
and less chance of us getting sick from respiratory issues like we do with fluMist... but at the same time, I'm also kinda hesitant 'cause they're using live viruses here which might not be suitable for everyone, especially those who are immunocompromised... 
if it can really prevent infection by blocking replication in the nose and throat that would be amazing 
. I mean, think about how much easier it would make life with all the constant mask-wearing and social distancing we're still stuck with 
. Plus, not having to get shots every year for the flu is a definite pro 
. But, yeah, more research needs to be done before we can say this thing is a surefire winner 
. What do you guys think?
. And because it uses a weakened form of the coronavirus, it should be way more effective than those other vaccines that just boost immunity everywhere 
.
. And yeah, respiratory infections can be tough to crack, but if they can just tweak it a bit more, maybe we'll have something really special on our hands 
.
. We're seeing multiple nasal vaccines in the pipeline, and while they show promise, we need to think about scalability 
. Who's going to fund these studies? The government? Private companies? And what about accessibility? How are we going to get this vaccine to people who need it most? 
It's not just about the science; it's about making sure our healthcare system is equipped to handle a new vaccine.
That raises questions about long-term safety and efficacy. We can't afford to gamble with people's health over convenience or effectiveness. I'm not saying this approach won't work, but we need to be cautious and ensure that our public health infrastructure is ready for the next big challenge.
. We're already seeing progress in fluMist, so why not invest more in nasal vaccines? It's time to think outside the box (or in this case, the nose 
. I mean, think about it, we've been playing around with live viruses for years now and it still took us a while to figure out how to make a decent flu shot. But hey, the Germans are pretty smart and they might just nail this one... but what if it doesn't work on humans? 
I mean, sterilizing immunity is what everyone's been aiming for and if they can make something that works like that... 
. And let's be real, we've seen how fluMist doesn't work well in adults 
. It seems like just another Band-Aid solution to me rather than addressing the root cause of these infections 
.