Swiss and German virologists raise hopes of nasal coronavirus vaccine
Swiss and German virologists working on a nasal vaccine for Covid-19 say such a technique could be much more effective against the virus, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reports on Friday.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SRF/jc
Português
pt
Virologistas suíços e alemães criam esperanças de uma vacina nasal contra o coronavírus
The ideal 100% immunity is almost impossible to achieve with viruses that attack the mucous membrane, University of Bern virus researcher Volker Thiehl told SRF. But he said an improvement was certainly achievable “if the immunity is not somewhere in the body, but on the spot, where the virus tries to infect us”.
For Covid-19 this means the mucous membranes of the nose. “The virus would be stopped right there,” he told SRF. “Then Corona would become a simple and mild infection, like a cold.”
Thiel is working with colleagues in Germany and Switzerland to develop a nasal vaccine. The project was launched in 2020 and is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. He says the main component of the nasal vaccine is to be attenuated corona viruses, and he has tried many different ways to attenuate the viruses. “Two of them work very well as vaccines in animals. We now want to approach phase 1 trials in humans.”
Phase 1 involves testing the safety of the vaccine in a small number of people. That will be followed by additional phases of studies with more and more subjects. These studies are expensive, however, and private investors are needed.
SRF reports that Basel-based company RocketVax is already involved, but the project needs more financial partners. Vaccines are unlikely to be available for another one or two years, it says.
This content was published on
Switzerland's economy grew slightly at the start of 2024, with growth in the service sector contrasting with weak growth in industry.
Swiss employment rate rises in first quarter of 2023
This content was published on
The number of women and foreign nationals in employment increased particularly strongly, the Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday.
Coercion still an issue in Swiss welfare system, report finds
This content was published on
The rights of vulnerable people are still sometimes disregarded by the Swiss welfare system, a national research programme has found.
This content was published on
Viola Amherd has expressed her “deep shock” at the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday.
This content was published on
A man injured half a dozen people with knives, two of them seriously, before being arrested on Wednesday in northern Switzerland.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
Explainer: How ready is Switzerland for a new wave of Covid-19?
This content was published on
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again, sparking renewed talk of vaccination and a possible return to social distancing in the autumn.
New Covid surge could infect over one million Swiss this summer
This content was published on
Around 15% of the Swiss population could get infected this summer with new Omicron subvariants, warns former Covid-19 taskforce head.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.