A Washington University study reveals that nasal COVID-19 vaccines could prevent virus transmission, a significant advantage over traditional injectable vaccines. This finding could be crucial in addressing future respiratory pandemics. Research on hamsters suggests that vaccines aimed at the nose and mouth could be crucial in curbing the transmission of respiratory infections.
The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines within months of the virus ’s emergence was a remarkable achievement of modern science, saving millions of lives. But for all the good they did in reducing illnesses and deaths, the shots were unable to end the pandemic because of one notable weakness: They couldn’t stop the spread of the virus. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Louis indicates that next-generation vaccines that target the virus’s points of entry — the nose and mouth — may be able to do what traditional shots cannot: contain the spread of respiratory infections and prevent transmission. Using a nasal COVID-19 vaccine based on Washington University technology, approved for use in India and licensed to Ocugen for further development in the U.S.
, the researchers showed that vaccinated hamsters that developed infections did not pass the virus on to others, breaking the cycle of transmission. In contrast, an approved COVID-19 vaccine that is injected failed to prevent the spread of the virus. Efficacy of Mucosal Vaccines The findings, published .