An orally administered Covid-19 vaccine has been developed by Japanese scientists.
- In France, elderly people can benefit from a booster vaccination, to protect them from Covid-19.
- Japanese researchers have developed an anti-Covid vaccine administered orally.
- The oral vaccine was tested in monkeys, and the first results were conclusive.
French health authorities recommend that people at risk of developing severe forms of Covid-19 receive booster shots after their primary vaccination in order to maintain their immunity to the coronavirus. Among these, we can cite those over 65, patients with risk factors (diabetes, obesity, cancer, Down syndrome, etc.), pregnant women or even immunocompromised individuals. Good news for those who are afraid of needles: an anti-covid vaccine in pill form has just been designed.
Covid-19: a vaccine administered orally
During the Covid-19 pandemic, different vaccines were developed (Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna). However, they all had the same method of administration: the injection. Japanese researchers have recently succeeded in developing a device allowing oral vaccination against the coronavirus. Their work was published in the journal Biology Methods and Protocols.
Scientists’ first observation: it is necessary to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from penetrating the interior of human cells – but only on the external surface of epithelial cells, which line the lungs, nose and mouth and produce there mucus – in order to neutralize them. By studying this phenomenon, they then found that immunoglobulin A (a specific class of antibodies) can act in mucus and eliminate viruses. However, this production must be induced by a vaccine. It was then that the idea of the anti-covid vaccine pill was born.
Covid-19 and oral vaccine: first positive results
As the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects bronchial cells, researchers suggested inducing the secretion of immunoglobulin A specific for the virus antigen in the mucosa rather than in the blood. Previously, clinical nasal vaccines had been developed with the aim of promoting the production of these antibodies. Unfortunately, they caused side effects like headache and fever.
In clinical trials, scientists examined this new form of vaccination by administering it orally (under the tongue) to monkeys. Results: The animals produced the necessary antibodies against the disease without noticeable side effects. For the Japanese team, their work could contribute to the development of oral vaccines against the coronavirus. However, further research is needed to confirm these initial conclusions.
