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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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Nasal spray Covid vaccine co-researched by HKU approved in China
A nasal spray Covid vaccine, co-developed by the University of Hong Kong, Xiamen University, and Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy manufacturer was authorized by the National Medical Products Administration for emergency use in mainland China.
According to the manufacturer, 200 million doses of the vaccine will be produced in the next six months.
The application of the new vaccine in Hong Kong is awaiting approval by the SAR government.
HKU’s professor Yuen Kwok-yung, who led his research team taking part in the development of the vaccine, said the nasal spray could prevent the virus from invading a person’s body via the mucous membranes of nostrils and throats.
"The currently-applied intramuscular vaccine can trigger systemic immunity across human bodies, while nostrils and throats are not covered," he said.
The vaccine has undergone clinical trials of Phase ?, ?, or ? across different regions, including China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and other overseas areas, with data analysis completed in October.
"Our research team is updating the nasal spray vaccine for coronavirus variants, including Omicron," Yuen noted but added the newly approved vaccine - which was developed based on the original coronavirus- can also provide protection.
"The new vaccine can provide over 80 percent of protection for people who already received the coronavirus vaccine, and the figure is 55 percent for people who never got jabs," he said.
Another researcher of the team, Professor Chen Honglin of HKU, said the nasal spray vaccine will be a marvelous supplement to the current-existing vaccine and could be given priority to the elder group for inoculation.
"The protecting ability provided by the new vaccine for people aged above 60 is not inferior to it for groups aged between 18 to 59," according to the research team.
The application of the new vaccine in Hong Kong is awaiting approval by the SAR government.
HKU’s professor Yuen Kwok-yung, who led his research team taking part in the development of the vaccine, said the nasal spray could prevent the virus from invading a person’s body via the mucous membranes of nostrils and throats.
"The currently-applied intramuscular vaccine can trigger systemic immunity across human bodies, while nostrils and throats are not covered," he said.
The vaccine has undergone clinical trials of Phase ?, ?, or ? across different regions, including China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and other overseas areas, with data analysis completed in October.
"Our research team is updating the nasal spray vaccine for coronavirus variants, including Omicron," Yuen noted but added the newly approved vaccine - which was developed based on the original coronavirus- can also provide protection.
"The new vaccine can provide over 80 percent of protection for people who already received the coronavirus vaccine, and the figure is 55 percent for people who never got jabs," he said.
Another researcher of the team, Professor Chen Honglin of HKU, said the nasal spray vaccine will be a marvelous supplement to the current-existing vaccine and could be given priority to the elder group for inoculation.
"The protecting ability provided by the new vaccine for people aged above 60 is not inferior to it for groups aged between 18 to 59," according to the research team.
