COVID-19 vaccine Products from Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson have proven to be surprisingly effective at the forefront of preventing disease severity and even death.
These vaccines are injected into muscle or muscle tissue to induce the production of antibodies that circulate in the blood throughout the body, protecting the most important organs and producing what is called systemic immunity. This immune response protects the body from illness and death, but it only occurs after the virus has entered our body.
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While the effectiveness of these vaccines that protect us from COVID-19 is truly impressive, the SARS-Cov-2 virus can invade our body in ways that are not protected by the vaccine: Nose and mouth. These two entry points and the ability to spread the virus are the reasons behind the obligation of the mask.Face mask interferes with transmission Aerosol virus, Prevents the wearer and those around him from becoming infected.
Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine required
But what if an intranasal vaccine was available?
When the nose is castrated, the vaccine passes through the upper respiratory tract and pushes the body to produce protective antibodies in that area of ​​the body. When it does its job, the immune response counteracts the virus as it attempts to enter the body and prevents it from spreading when coughing, sneezing, or exhaling.
Although the first efforts to provide mucosal immunity appear promising, the drug is in the first stages of clinical trials and the actual COVID-19 nasal vaccine will be available on the market at least a year later. Will be.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Current vaccines acquire systemic immunity by allowing the production of antibodies called immunoglobulin G or IgG and killer T cells. These are really effective in fighting the virus before destroying our most important body organs.
Scientists need to focus on the mucosal system to prevent the virus from entering the body in the first place. The moist tissue lining of the mouth and nose forms part of the mucosal system, which extends to the gastrointestinal tract and genital tract. In this area, various types of antibodies emerge from the mucous membranes to fight the virus. These antibodies are called immunoglobulin A or igA and are released by the mucous membranes to neutralize the virus.
If the COVID-19 vaccine can generate a strong mucosal immune response, it can better protect the body from the virus before damaging major organs such as the lungs and heart. In addition, igA antibody has been proven to be more potent against SARS-CoV-2 virus than igG antibody. Enhanced SARS-CoV-2 neutralization with dimer IgA) Published in Science Transactional Medicine. Proponents of intranasal vaccines are confident that enhancing secretory igA through the mouth and nose enhances the enhancements provided by current vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccine in nasal drops
Scientists believe that vaccines must be applied along the natural route of transmission in order for our bodies to produce the secretory igA antibodies needed to fight the incoming virus. This means that it is given in the form of nasal drops and passed through the mucous membranes.
According to immunologists, current COVID-19 vaccination does not seem to elicit an effective antibody response in the mucosa. People who are naturally infected with COVID-19 appear to provoke an early mucosal immune response, but for those who rely on such vaccines to develop immunity, intranasal vaccines are the igA required for systemic immunity. We can provide supplements.
at present, 5 Intranasal Vaccine Candidates According to the World Health Organization, clinical trials are currently underway. Altimmune is the only US company to offer intranasal vaccines in clinical trials.
Recent studies have shown that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may reduce viral load and asymptomatic infections. A study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that healthcare professionals had a 90% reduction in COVID-19 infection rates after being completely vaccinated with the approved mRNA vaccine.
However, these existing vaccines do not provide solid evidence that the infection can be completely stopped. According to immunologists, this is because infections can occur from different parts of the respiratory tract of different individuals. Some of these individuals, whether vaccinated or not, can become infected with the virus if they are in close contact with others.
These scientists believe that this transmission is due to a virus present in the nose. Other individuals, called “superspreaders,” can carry and infect highly infectious viral aerosols through the nose, lungs, or both. Intramuscular vaccines can combat the virus in the lungs, but without mucosal immunity with the intranasal vaccine, scientists say there is no way to completely stop the viral infection from the nose.
Mucosal immunity ideal for neutralizing new COVID-19 mutants
Above 175 million doses of vaccine Efforts are underway in the US-controlled scientific community to stop the infection, which is essentially important in dealing with new viral variants. After entering the body, genetic mutations in the virus can help the virus become more infectious or successfully evade an immune response.
As a result, the new version of the virus is replicated into a new variant. However, if the virus cannot break through the mucosal and systemic immune response, it cannot stay and replicate in the nasal passages and body. And if this transmission is interrupted, it will be difficult for new varieties to spread.
However, there are concerns about how well intranasal vaccines can mount a sustained immune response. Scientists say mucosal immunity must fight our microbiota and everything we eat and inhale. Therefore, mucosal immunity can decline more rapidly than the systemic immune response.
COVID-19 is expected to become a seasonal disease, and for people with a systemic immune response, an intranasal vaccine can act as a booster to enhance mucosal immunity and protect against mutants.
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