Inhalable COVID-19 vaccines coming out soon

People with phobias about needles can have atomized COVID-19 inhalation vaccines instead of injections in the near future, and vaccine developers are applying for emergency-use authorization.

This good news was released by military scientist Chen Wei, whose team developed a single-shot COVID-19 vaccine with domestic drugmaker CanSino Biologics, at the Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai, which concludes today.

Her single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is now being promoted in more parts of China along with those requiring two or three shots.

Chen, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and researcher at the Academy of Military Sciences' Institute of Military Medicine, said in a speech at the forum's plenary session on Thursday that she led her team to develop with CanSino an inhaled recombinant COVID-19 vaccine, and they are applying for emergency use.

In a video clip she played at the session, a Wuhan resident who participated in their clinical test inhaled the atomized vaccine through a special device, and held his breath for several seconds to finish the vaccination. The tiny particles of the vaccine then entered his respiratory tract and lungs.

According to Chen, in addition to humoral and cellular immunity, the new atomized COVID-19 inhalation vaccine can lead to mucosal immunity, and its dose is only one-fifth of the injected vaccine with adenovirus vector. Its use is likely to cut the cost of vaccinations and lead to more people receiving them.

"Our country's research and development ability for vaccines is now among the forerunners in the world, and we should have full confidence in our science and technology," said Chen.

Under the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Academy of Military Sciences has established a platform on technologies related to adenovirus vector.

"The platform can be likened to the rocket launch platform. With it, we can 'launch' vaccines targeting different viruses," said Chen.