All you need to know about nasal anti-covid vaccines

What are nasal vaccines all about? Get the details…

Wednesday, 9th June 2021

On this Monday, PM Modi addressed the people of the nation and informed all about the varied plans that are being chalked out by the government for combating the dangerous, life-taking coronavirus. During his speech, PM Modi also informed that research is being carried out regarding the development of nasal covid vaccines as a fitting alternative to the intramuscular covid vaccines. Nasal vaccines, according to PM Modi Ji, could enhance the country’s anti-covid inoculation drive. Thus, it is worthwhile to learn in detail about the Nasal covid vaccines. Read on…

How does the nasal vaccine function?

Unlike injected vaccines, nasal vaccines are not injected but are sprayed into one’s nostrils. This spraying can be done through the use of a nasal spray, needle-less syringe, a special kind of aerosol delivery, or through liquid medication.

While the deadly virus generally finds an entry into your body through the nose, the anti-covid vaccine then stops the virus and activates your body’s immune system to generate appropriate proteins in your bloodstream as well as in your nose in order to fight the virus. This also checks the virus from multiplying and increasing its population.

Difference between the intranasal vaccine and intramuscular vaccine

Since most of the viruses known to man, including the virus linked to the SARs-COV-2 infection, enter the host body via mucosa and consequently infect the molecules as well as cells of the mucosal membranes, nasal anti-covid vaccines are looked upon as an ideal and effective remedy for the same. On the other hand, the intramuscular covid vaccines that are injected into the skin cannot trigger this sort of immune retaliation from your mucosa and largely rely on the cells of the immune system from the body’s other parts. It generates scores of circulating IgG antibodies that battle against the dangerous pathogens to exterminate them. The IgG antibodies do their job even before the pathogens can lead to major tissue damage, but aren’t much effective in combating the entry of the virus into one’s body.

Also Read: Vital Facts about DRDO’s 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Medication for Covid-19.

Also, nasal vaccines are far easier and speedier to administer and are likely to provide a quick and easy immune response. A nasal vaccine cannot just protect against the infection but can also interact with the T-Cells in the nose as well as throat directly and aim at the immune cells existing in the mucosal membrane.

Are Nasal Vaccines effective enough?

Since the intranasal covid vaccine generates secretory Immunoglobulin A (IgA), it helps in evoking a very powerful immune retaliation at the point of virus’s entry; i.e. the nose. The IgA is held as far more effective in tackling as well as destroying the viruses at an initial stage of the infection when compared to the IgG that’s generated due to the intramuscular or injection vaccines. This in a way not only checks the virus but avoids transmission too.

While intranasal vaccines create a strong and effective enough mucosal-based immune response, it prevents further lung damage due to progression of the infection due to coronavirus.

Are there disadvantages also?

Although the nasal vaccines check as well as neutralize the viral infection in the very mucosal membrane itself; i.e. at the point of the virus’s entry, the antibodies that the vaccine generates may not be as powerful in your lower respiratory tract as compared to your upper respiratory tract.

Furthermore, experts think that intranasal covid vaccines may not give the patients a long-lasting immunity to the infected patients.

Another major disadvantage of the intranasal vaccine is related to its safety. While the vaccine makes use of live attenuated coronavirus, there is a chance of the reversion of the neuro-attenuation which implies that the covid virus gets back its power to infect the host.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

Timesofindia Indiatimes