Contents
- The principle of action of the nasal vaccine against coronavirus
- What is the difference between a nasal vaccine and a regular vaccine?
- Coronavirus nasal vaccine contraindications
- Side effects of nasal coronavirus vaccine
- Can the nasal vaccine replace the regular one?
- Reviews of doctors about the nasal vaccine against coronavirus
- Popular questions and answers
The world’s first nasal vaccine against coronavirus was registered in Russia on April 1, 20221. Scientists in different countries worked on this form of vaccine, but it was in Russia that the nasal vaccine not only passed several stages of clinical trials on humans, but also became available to protect against coronavirus infection.
The nasal vaccine against coronavirus was developed in the same place as Sputnik V – at the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology. N.F. Gamaleya. In October 2021, the development of the drug was completed, after which, with the permission of the Ministry of Health, scientists began phases 1 and 2 of clinical trials. According to the creators of the vaccine, this is the same “Sputnik V” (two-component vaccine): the difference is only in the method of administration.
The unusual form of the vaccine is not new to Russia. For example, one of the Russian flu vaccines, Ultravak, is also nasal. What is the vaccine against coronavirus in the form of a spray, how does it work, what are the contraindications to it – let’s see.
A nasal vaccine is essentially a spray. The drug is in a syringe, but not a needle is put on it, but a special nozzle with a filter. If you press the syringe plunger in front of your nose and inhale deeply, the liquid in the form of tiny droplets will settle in the nasal cavity. Secretory antibodies are formed on the mucous membrane, which will neutralize the virus trying to enter the body by airborne droplets.
As part of the nasal vaccine, as well as in its predecessor Sputnik V, there is no coronavirus itself or its parts. There are adenoviral vectors with a modified genome, with the help of which antibodies are produced in the body.
Like Sputnik V, the nasal vaccine has two components and is given three weeks apart.
What is the difference between a nasal vaccine and a regular vaccine?
The main difference between vaccines is that the vaccine in the form of an injection creates a certain level of protective antibodies in the blood. And the nasal vaccine forms a reliable barrier to the penetration of the coronavirus – it does not allow it to penetrate the nasal mucosa.
About the advantages of nasal vaccination in terms of achieving herd immunity, said the director of the center. Gamalei Alexander Gintsburg2.
– A person who has been vaccinated intranasally will never be a carrier of the coronavirus. If a person has been vaccinated by injection, he again will not get sick, but he can carry the virus on his mucous membrane. And if he gets into the environment of unvaccinated people, where he coughs or sneezes, he will excrete the virus. And others can get sick, — said the scientist.
The same opinion is shared by American scientists who are developing their own nasal vaccine.
– Intramuscular injection does not guarantee the appearance of antibodies in the nasal passages. This makes it more likely that vaccinated people can still become infected and spread the virus, even if they don’t have symptoms of the disease. It is believed that vaccines given through the nose (intranasal) can block SARS-CoV-2 both in the nasal passages and in the bloodstream.3, – experts of the National Institute of Health in Maryland (USA) note.
And the nasal vaccine is a real salvation for people who are terribly afraid of injections.
Since the nasal vaccine is still the same familiar Sputnik, its contraindications are the same:
- hypersensitivity to vaccine components or vaccines containing similar components;
- allergic reactions in history;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- acute infectious and non-infectious diseases;
- age to 18 years.
Pregnant women (starting from 22 weeks of gestation) and nursing mothers can be vaccinated if the benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential risk to the child.
By the way, it is worth noting that a deviated nasal septum or a common cold can affect the effectiveness of vaccination.
In the first days after vaccination, a person may complain of headache, general malaise, swelling and redness of the nasal mucosa, discomfort in the nasopharynx.
Chief Researcher at the Center N.F. Gamaleya Anatoly Altshtein believes that there are no grounds to consider the nasal vaccine dangerous.
– The virus contained in the vaccine is able to infect the cell, but does not give offspring. And the vaccine after the introduction into the brain will not work. There is simply nothing to go, – the scientist notes4.
Can the nasal vaccine replace the regular one?
According to Alexander Gunzburg, each vaccine has its own characteristics and its effect on the body. Therefore, one does not exclude the other, but supports.
– First you need to be vaccinated intramuscularly with Sputnik V. And since the virus in the human body enters through the nasopharynx, the intranasal vaccine creates local immunity when inhaled, and the pathogen will encounter antibodies. The vaccine should not be used at your own discretion! Only a doctor can give a recommendation on the choice and find out under what conditions this or that vaccine is suitable, – said the director of the center to them. N.F. Gamaleya.
The benefits of the nasal vaccine are also noted by the epidemiologist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Gennady Onishchenko.
The nasal vaccine is faster and more effective than the regular vaccine. The nasal vaccine settles on the respiratory tract and “meets” the virus as if at the entrance. This is very important in terms of the severity of the course of the disease in case of infection and the load on the body.6, – emphasizes Gennady Onishchenko.
According to toxicologist Mikhail Kutushov, a nasal vaccine is more promising.
“This form of vaccination helps to avoid the risks that come with the injection. Therefore, the nasal form of the vaccine is a more natural way to protect the body from serious and dangerous diseases, including those that are dangerous and have consequences, the expert says.
Popular questions and answers
Toxicologist, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Mikhail Kutushov answers popular questions.
Are nasal vaccines a modern invention?
Now nasal vaccines against coronavirus are being developed in laboratories in different countries. Most of them are still at the stage of clinical trials.
Can the nasal vaccine be used for revaccination?
Sources:
- The Russian Ministry of Health has registered the world’s first nasal vaccine against COVID-19. Ministry of Health of Russia. https://web.telegram.org/z/#-1512944688
- “Dangerous virus. Second year”. “Russia 1”. December 6.12.2021, 64900 https://smotrim.ru/brand/XNUMX
- Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine effective in animal studies. August 10, 2021. National Institutes of Health, Maryland. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/intranasal-covid-19-vaccine-effective-animal-studies
- Virologist Chumakov warned about the possible dangers of the nasal vaccine. RBC. 13.02. 2022. https://www.rbc.ru/society/13/02/2022/62085c2a9a7947f9550ccc6b?fromtg=1
- Gunzburg: The nasal vaccine against COVID-19 will not replace the usual one, but will complement its effect. “Russian newspaper”. 02.04.2022/2022/04. https://rg.ru/02/19/XNUMX/gincburg-nazalnaia-vakcina-ot-covid-XNUMX-ne-replacement-obychnuiu-a-dopolnit-ee-effekt.html
- Onishchenko named four advantages of the nasal vaccine against COVID. NTV. 01.04.2022/2699936/XNUMX. https://www.ntv.ru/msk/novosti/XNUMX/