Your Covid-19 questions answered

Could a vaccine nasal spray be more effective than a Covid-19 jab?

14 April 2022 - 07:20
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
A nasal spray form of the Covid-19 vaccine may be more effective. File photo.
A nasal spray form of the Covid-19 vaccine may be more effective. File photo.
Image: 123RF/adamhoglund

Several studies have found administering the Covid-19 vaccine through the nose may be more effective than injecting it into the arm.

One study by Yale School of Medicine found that while the injection-administered vaccines have been effective up until now, their efficiency may wane with time.

“They especially appear to lack strength in the nasal cavity mucosa and respiratory tract — the region of the body where the virus is most likely to cause illness and from which it is most likely to be transmitted to other people,” a summary of the report read.

It said administering the vaccine in the form of a nasal spray may be more effective in blocking the entry of the virus. It suggests combining the two methods for added protection.

This is similar to another study by professors of radiology at Stanford School of Medicine  Ramasamy Paulmurugan and Tarik Massoud.

“The gold standard for vaccination is through an intramuscular shot to the arm. but that’s really a roundabout way to achieve a barrier against a respiratory virus. We thought, theoretically, that administering protection at the site of infection could produce a more robust response,” explains Massoud.

They hope that in developing a vaccine administered via nasal spray will eliminate the need to go to a clinic or health facility to get a vaccine.

Another study found that administering a certain molecule via the nose may prevent Covid-19 from infecting cells at the early stages of infection. The study is still in its early stages and has so far only been tested on mice.

There is now at least one scientific trial, at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in the US, looking at nasal spray vaccines. 

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.