COVID booster shots given to the nose may be better than the arms

New studies suggest that a nasal COVID-19 vaccine (called an intranasal vaccine) can provide even more protection than an intramuscular injection given to the arm. And with the impending potential for booster shots, there is growing interest in nasal drops instead of needles.

Two professors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Troy Randall, When Dr. Fran Lund, Build a case for the use of intranasal vaccines in a review published in a journal Chemistry In July.

There are nearly 100 COVID-19 vaccines currently in clinical trials, but only seven intranasal vaccines are currently being developed. Randall and Lund have reviewed all seven data. Six of these vaccines use a live, harmless virus called a vector virus to infect the nose with the COVID-19 virus. These are called “live attenuated” vaccines because they use a live but weakened virus to provoke an immune response without causing disease.

“Scientists can make mild flu, but some of the flu protein can be replaced with SARS-CoV-2 protein. The vector then infects the nose without causing disease and the immune response. May cause. To SARS-CoV-2. ”

The seventh vaccine candidate is a type of vaccine called the subunit vaccine. It uses a specific piece of the inactive SARS-CoV-2 virus, called a subunit, which is specially selected for its ability to stimulate immune cells.

Aim at the nose

The main advantage of an intranasal vaccine is that the vaccine is delivered to the nasal site of infection.

“Infections occur in the nose, so we want to focus the immune response on the nose,” says Randall.

Intranasal vaccines work by stimulating antibodies, a protein produced by the immune system to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Specifically, these vaccines produce more immunoglobulin A (IgA) protein, a type of antibody that protects the nasal mucosa.

Intranasal vaccines also stimulate the production of nasal memory B and T cells, Randall says. These cells protect against COVID-19 by making more antibodies and providing an additional layer of defense in case of future human exposure.

“This direct protection of the nose can prevent the virus from penetrating deep into the body to infect the lungs.” Monica Gandhi, MD, MPHVerywell says he is a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and a deputy director of the Department of HIV, Infectious Diseases and World Medicine.

Gandhi had nothing to do with the study, but said, “With effective immune protection in the nose, the virus is less likely to spread to others.”

In addition to being potentially more effective against viral infections, COVID-19 vaccine sprays will be the preferred option for those who are afraid of firing. Providing nasal drops instead of stabbing the arm not only relieves the anxiety of people with needle phobia when vaccinated, but may also increase the total number of vaccinated people. A new study in the United Kingdom found that advanced phobia is the cause of hesitation in the COVID vaccine in about 10% of the population.

Disadvantages of intranasal vaccine

These intranasal vaccines have some drawbacks. Live attenuated vaccines contain live but harmless forms of the virus (such as the common cold and the flu virus) to boost the immune response. If people had the same type of cold or flu virus that was previously used in the vaccine, it means they already have this type of antibody in their bodies, making the vaccine antibody useless. increase.

This type of vaccine should not be used in infants, the elderly, or people with immunodeficiency, as live attenuated vaccines contain small amounts of live attenuated virus.

What is the best way to get vaccinated?

Experts believe that the ideal vaccination strategy is to first deliver the vaccine to the arm and then the vaccine booster to the nose.

“Having both systemic and nasal types of immunity protects the entire airways,” says Randall.

This is because each of these delivery methods enhances immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in different but important ways. Intramuscular vaccines provoke a systemic immune response in the bloodstream and lymph nodes, so they do not protect the nose, but the lungs. In contrast, intranasal vaccines provoke an immune response in the nose to protect the nasal passages.

“The fight against COVID is complex and should evolve as data and variants evolve,” says Gandhi. “At this point, the intranasal vaccine is an excellent addition to the defense against the virus and needs to be brought to market quickly in clinical trials.”

The information in this article is up to date as of the date stated. In other words, reading this may provide new information. For the latest update of COVID-19, Coronavirus news page..