No need for needles: New COVID vaccine being trialled

No need for needles: New COVID vaccine being trialled.

NO NEED FOR NEEDLES: New needle-free COVID vaccine is being trialled in the UK with volunteers from the Southampton area – who have had two doses of an existing vaccine but not a booster – set to be paid £785 (€919).

Safety trials are underway at the University of Southampton for a Cambridge-led vaccine that could be used as a booster targeting COVID-19 virus variants and relatives that threaten future coronavirus pandemics.

The needle-free jab, which uses a jet of air to push it through the skin rather than a needle, is being developed by Professor Jonathan Heeney of the University of Cambridge with research firm DIOSynVax.

Professor Heeney said: “The response of the scientific and medical communities to the development and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines has been incredible, but as new variants emerge and immunity begins to wane we need newer technologies. It’s vital that we continue to develop new generation vaccine candidates ready to help keep us safe from the next virus threats.

“Our vaccine is innovative, both in terms of the way it primes the immune system to respond with a broader protective response to coronaviruses, and how it is delivered. Crucially, it is the first step towards a universal coronavirus vaccine we are developing, protecting us not just from COVID-19 variants but from future coronaviruses.”

The technology it uses aims to predict how the virus could mutate, allowing it to target emerging variants.

Saul Faust, clinical chief investigator and director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility, said: “This isn’t simply ‘yet another’ coronavirus vaccine as it has both Covid-19 variants and future coronaviruses in its sights.

“This technology could give wide-ranging protection to huge numbers of people worldwide.”

If trials are successful, this could be great news for those that have a fear of needles but want to get vaccinated.


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Written by

Matthew Roscoe

Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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