Scientists in Crimea present potential Covid-19 vaccine inhaled through the nose, hoping to offer alternative to injected formulas

Virologists from Russia's Crimean Federal University claim to have developed an alternative Covid-19 vaccine, using DNA, which can be inhaled through the nose. They are now want to launch trials, if they can secure funding.

Vladimir Oberemok, the head of the university's DNA drugs lab, explained to Moscow news agency Interfax that the vaccine consists of a single fragment of genetic code, which carries an activator of immunity to Covid-19, as well as a small portion of the virus' genome. When inside the patient, the vaccine is identified by the human body, and it begins to produce antibodies.

The vaccine has so far remained untrialed, having merely completed its development stage. The university is awaiting the necessary funding.

“Another advantage of our vaccine is that it can be taken intranasally. That is, simply inhaled, no injections are needed,” Oberemok said.

According to him, coronavirus does not kill people quickly but easily spreads, meaning that the virus is unlikely to die out through the death of patients and, therefore, society needs to accept that Covid-19 will survive in the long term.

“That is why we need competition between different vaccines to find the most effective ones in a specific situation, and have an alternative to choose from,” Oberemok explained.

Russia has already officially registered two Covid-19 vaccines, including the world’s first. On August 11, President Vladimir Putin announced that the country had registered Sputnik V, the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. It is currently in its third and final stage of clinical trials, involving 40,000 volunteers. On Wednesday, the president announced a second vaccine called EpiVacCorona, produced by Siberia’s Vector Center. It will soon enter post-registration trials. Another vaccine, from Moscow's Chumakov Center, is also in the pipeline.

Crimea was re-absorbed into Russia in March 2014, following a referendum. The vote is not recognized by most of the world, which views Crimea as an illegally occupied Ukrainian peninsula.

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