India could get nasal vaccine against Covid-19 soon
indiatoday.in
indiatoday.in
I thing “soon” is still quite a ways, off at least many months for the general public. They are just starting Phase 1 and 2 trials. You also need a Phase 3 trial after that before it can be approved for the general public.
For example if the sample size is large enough the placebo group can become symptomatic faster and thus the trial can end quicker.
Until it's actually tested, no one knows.
Having said that: there is the issue of cellular immunity. This is created in mucous membranes like nose, throat, lungs. Nasal passages.
These T- cells do kill the virus; thus, they prevent infection and blocks transmission as well. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978032339...
[..] The mucosal surfaces represent the major site of entry of many pathogens, and major challenges in vaccine development include safety and stability in a suitable dosage form. Micro- and nanocarrier-based delivery systems as nasal vaccines induce humoral, cellular, and mucosal immunity. The nasal route of vaccination could also offer immunity at several distant mucosal sites (oral, rectal, vaginal, and pulmonary), which is considered a simplified and cost-effective mode of vaccination with enhanced patient compliance. Most of the nasal vaccine delivery systems in the form of microparticulates, nanoparticulates, and liposomes are currently under development and prove to offer immunity in animal models. [..]
Vaccines injected into the arm bypass this mechanism. Nasal vaccine given by a liquid injected into the nose — duplicating the route that the virus itself takes. The problem is cellular immunity is harder and more expensive to measure. This could be the reason companies do not consider this method.
Anyone can be trained to give the nasal drops. It’s like the polio drops. Mobile clinics can access rural areas to deliver it quickly and to everyone.
My mom says that twice a week someone comes around for health checks. Esp for senior citizens. For obvious symptoms like fever, cold, flu symptoms etc. they record it and are responsible for 10-15 streets(500 approx homes a day, I’d imagine).
They are not even nurses. They are community health workers. They just document ‘community health’. They can just easily go to every home to deliver the vaccines.
I can’t imagine anything like this for the USA. Don’t know how this kind of grassroot health check is possible in a 1.4 billion country and we can’t manage it in the states. Just woolgathering and pondering. Not enough data to make a meaningful comment or observation.
> injecting the vaccine intramuscularly only protects the lower lung. A nasal vaccine can protect both the upper and lower lung and can prevent transmission of the virus as well as an infection
I'm not a biologist, but that just sounds strange.