Vaccine against new variant is still being researched

Although existing vaccines are still effective in protecting people from severe disease when infected with COVID-19, scientists and manufacturers around the world are still working on new generation vaccines. The new vaccine is expected to be able to both protect people from the risk of serious illness, create a more effective barrier against the infection of the variants, as well as deal with the gradual decline in the ability to vaccine immunity.

Pfizer/BioNTech is working on developing a vaccine that targets the Omicron variant, the dominant variant causing COVID-19 infections during this time. The vaccine is created using mRNA technology that makes it easy to properly regulate the antigen – activate the immune system.

The new vaccine, used as a booster dose, is expected to be licensed this May. Meanwhile, Moderna has developed a vaccine that contains mRNA from both the Beta and Omicron variants. Published clinical data suggest that the preparation is more effective against newer variants than the original vaccine.

China’s Biotec Pharmaceutical Group, in association with Sinopharm Corporation, is developing a vaccine using inactivated virus technology against the Omicron variant. Tests show that the new vaccine can produce high levels of neutralizing antibodies against different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

In addition to developing an injectable vaccine, researchers are also aiming to find a vaccine against COVID-19 in the form of a nasal spray. The upper respiratory system, throat and especially the nose are the gateways for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter the body. Therefore, the nasal spray vaccine is becoming a new research direction.

Some scientists have been far more visionary towards a universal vaccine that could stave off any future variants, possibly even another pandemic.

Scientists at the University of California Irvine, USA are working on a universal coronavirus vaccine that can attack preemptively against mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and future emerging viruses. This vaccine is called pan-coronavirus vaccine.

Professor Lbachir Benmohamed – Immunology Specialist, University of California Irvine said: “Our pan-coronavirus vaccine not only protects humans and animals from the current virus, but also has the ability to protect against mutations. of the coronavirus as well as any other variants that will emerge in the future.”

It will take two to three years for researchers to develop such a universal vaccine. During that time, scientists will continue to research and adapt the vaccine to find ways to catch and attack the virus first.

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