The 30-subject study – funded by AZ and published in the Lancet journal eBioMedicine – tested two strengths of the current formulation of the vaccine administered as a nasal spray, with half the group receiving a second intranasal dose 28 days later, and half getting a regular intramuscular Vaxzevria shot.
The rationale for intranasal dosing was that the vaccine could stimulate localised immune responses in the mucosal lining of the airways that would provide a first line of defense for people exposed to SARS-CoV-2, and complement the systemic immune response achieved with the vaccine given as an injection.
