Researchers in Germany claim to have made significant progress in the development of a nasal Covid-19 vaccine that can effectively shut down the virus's infection in the nose and throat. In experiments conducted on hamsters, two doses of the live but weakened vaccine successfully blocked the virus from replicating itself in the animals' upper airways, achieving "sterilizing immunity" and preventing illness.
The novel approach uses a weakened form of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, which is then used to prime the immune system. This method has been studied for decades, dating back to the 1870s when scientists developed vaccines against anthrax and rabies using similar techniques.
According to the researchers, the nasal vaccine offers several advantages over existing Covid-19 vaccines. It can be administered through the nose, making it easier to target the upper airways where the virus typically enters the body. Additionally, this approach may provide better protection against new variants of the virus that have emerged in recent times.
In the hamster studies, two doses of the live but weakened nasal vaccine created a stronger immune response compared to other vaccines tested, including mRNA-based and adenovirus-delivered options. The researchers believe that the vaccine's effectiveness is due to its ability to mimic natural infection closely, allowing it to generate immunity against a wider range of targets.
However, the development of this vaccine still faces several challenges before it can be approved for human use. The researchers are currently working on phase I clinical trials with the help of a Swiss company called RocketVax. While other nasal vaccines have reached late-stage testing in humans, some experts caution that more work is needed to fully understand their effectiveness.
One concern is that respiratory infections have proven to be tough targets for inhaled vaccines, and it remains to be seen whether this approach will be effective in humans. Nonetheless, the progress made by German researchers offers hope for a new type of Covid-19 vaccine that could provide better protection against the virus.
The novel approach uses a weakened form of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, which is then used to prime the immune system. This method has been studied for decades, dating back to the 1870s when scientists developed vaccines against anthrax and rabies using similar techniques.
According to the researchers, the nasal vaccine offers several advantages over existing Covid-19 vaccines. It can be administered through the nose, making it easier to target the upper airways where the virus typically enters the body. Additionally, this approach may provide better protection against new variants of the virus that have emerged in recent times.
In the hamster studies, two doses of the live but weakened nasal vaccine created a stronger immune response compared to other vaccines tested, including mRNA-based and adenovirus-delivered options. The researchers believe that the vaccine's effectiveness is due to its ability to mimic natural infection closely, allowing it to generate immunity against a wider range of targets.
However, the development of this vaccine still faces several challenges before it can be approved for human use. The researchers are currently working on phase I clinical trials with the help of a Swiss company called RocketVax. While other nasal vaccines have reached late-stage testing in humans, some experts caution that more work is needed to fully understand their effectiveness.
One concern is that respiratory infections have proven to be tough targets for inhaled vaccines, and it remains to be seen whether this approach will be effective in humans. Nonetheless, the progress made by German researchers offers hope for a new type of Covid-19 vaccine that could provide better protection against the virus.
This is some good news finally! I mean, we've been hearing about vaccines for so long now and it's nice to see some real progress being made. I'm all for trying out new approaches like this one - it's not like we haven't tried everything else already 
. And if it can be administered through the nose, that's a total game-changer. Less pain, less hassle... win-win! 
Of course, there are still some risks involved and more trials need to be done before it's approved for human use, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here 
. A bit more research never hurt anyone, right? 
This is super interesting! I've been hearing about mRNA-based vaccines for ages and it's cool to see someone trying a different approach 
. The fact that this nasal vaccine can target the upper airways where the virus enters the body makes total sense to me 
! I'm curious to see how this translates to human trials and whether it'll be effective against those new variants 
! It's like, who knew that after all these years, scientists would come up with something new and effective. I mean, the idea of targeting the upper airways where the virus enters is genius 
. The fact that it can be administered through the nose makes it way more convenient than those other vaccines 
. Fingers crossed they can make it work for humans too! This could be a game-changer for Covid-19, especially with all these new variants popping up 
I'm so stoked to hear about this nasal Covid-19 vaccine! It's like, we've been waiting for years for something like this 
I'm not going to lie, though - I do have some concerns about its effectiveness in humans... but for now, let's celebrate this progress and hope that we're one step closer to beating Covid-19 once and for all 
? cant just claim to have made progress without some serious proof 
.
. I mean, it's crazy that scientists have been working on this concept since the 1870s already 
! And to think we're finally seeing progress with this nasal vaccine... it gives me hope that we'll get a game-changer soon 
! Of course, there are still challenges to overcome before it's approved for human use, but I'm all for keeping an eye on this one 
.
! I mean, who wouldn't want a vaccine that's specifically designed to target the upper airways where the virus likes to hang out? It makes total sense that it could provide better protection against those new variants that are constantly popping up.
. If a vaccine like this one became available, it would've been a total game-changer for people who are already dealing with respiratory issues.
. Fingers crossed that this vaccine could become a reality and help keep us all safe from Covid! 
This is amazing news! I've been waiting for something like this for ages 
. The fact that it uses a weakened form of the virus to prime our immune system is genius 
. Fingers crossed that this will bring us some real relief from Covid's grip 
.
. And the idea that it might provide better protection against new variants of the virus that have emerged is just mind-blowing 
It's crazy how much more effective this nasal vaccine is compared to the others out there. And let's be real, who hasn't had some bad stuff stuck up their nose at some point? 
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... I mean, who wouldn't want to avoid getting sick all the time? But seriously, the fact that it's been tested on hamsters and shown promising results is a big deal 
.
. Fingers crossed they can iron out the kinks and make it available to us soon 
It feels like time was already passing in slow motion before vaccines existed 
. On the bright side, if they do manage to make this nasal vaccine work 
.
. Fingers crossed for that! 