The scientists behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine are investigating whether it could be delivered via a nasal spray or even a tablet.
Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said that jabbing people’s arms may not be the best way of protecting them against a respiratory virus that infects them when they breathe it in.
“We want the immune system to be active in the upper respiratory tract and then in the lower respiratory tract, which is where the virus is causing the infection,” she told the Commons science and technology committee.
Delivering a vaccine to the nose or mouth could prime cells in those parts of the body with antibodies so that the virus is unable to spread further.
“We
