A new COVID-19 vaccine administered using a
jet of air rather than a needle to push the dosage through the skin is being
trialled at Cambridge University. Researchers say the vaccine could give
“wide-ranging protection” against future coronavirus variants.

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

Also Read: Get vaccinated or you are fired: Google to staff

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

Most of the existing coronavirus vaccines
use the sequence of the RNA for the spike protein from the first samples of the
virus found in January 2020. The technology used for the new jab aims to
predict how the virus could mutate, allowing it to target emerging variants.

Also Read: India reports 6,984 new COVID cases, 247 deaths in last 24 hours

‘First step towards a universal coronavirus
vaccine’                     

Professor Jonathan Heeney, at the
University of Cambridge who developed the vaccine with research company
DIOSynVax, said, “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,” Heeney said. 

Also Read: UK says it could exceed 1 million omicron infections by end of December

“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,” he added.

Participants, meanwhile, began taking part
in the trial at the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility on Tuesday.

Also Read: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson doesn’t have a ‘Plan C’ to curb Omicron

Demonstrating the vaccine earlier this
year, Dr Rebecca Kinsley from DIOSynVax said, “There’s no needle or hole.
It uses a high-powered jet stream, which allows the vaccine to pass through the
layer of skin.”