High hopes for nasal Covid vaccines despite ‘disappointing’ trial’

Nasal vaccines aim to build immunity in the mucous membrane that lines the nose and mouth.

Nasal vaccines could still be a powerful future weapon in the fight against Covid-19 despite "disappointing" recent trial results for an AstraZeneca spray, experts say.

By entering the body the same way as the virus, nasal vaccines aim to build immunity in the mucous membrane that lines the nose and mouth.

This could block people from getting infected in the first place -- and also potentially hamper those who have Covid from spreading it further.

That would represent a huge boost compared to traditional shots in the arm, which have proved very effective at preventing severe Covid but perform far less well when it comes to stopping transmission.

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Last month China became the first country to approve a needle-free Covid vaccine, an aerosolised mist inhaled through the nose and mouth using a nebuliser device, while India greenlit a homegrown nasal drop vaccine days later.

With some wondering when Western nations would catch up, last week Oxford researchers revealed the results of a phase 1 trial for a simple nasal spray using the AstraZeneca vaccine.