"Like drinking a cup of milk tea," new inhalable COVID vaccine, that is sucked in through the mouth, trialed in China

(Image credit: Twitter/ShanghaiEye)

In what looks to be a first in the world, Shanghai has started administering a non-needle vaccine which is in the form of mist, that is supposed to be breathed in through the mouth. The inhalable COVID-19 vaccination became available on October 26. It has been developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics Inc., the Associated Press reported.

This vaccine is being offered for free as a booster dose for those who are previously vaccinated, according to an announcement posted on an official city social media account.

In a video posted online by a Chinese official media agency, people at a community health centre were seen inserting the short nozzle of a translucent white cup into their mouths.

According to the text that accompanied the video, after slowly inhaling, one individual held his breath for five seconds. The entire procedure completed in 20 seconds.

“It was like drinking a cup of milk tea," the Wall Street Journal quoted a Shanghai resident as saying in the video. “When I breathed it in, it tasted a bit sweet."

Compared to the traditional vaccine, needle-free vaccines are easier to administer and scientists believe they can help in increasing vaccination rates. People who are afraid of needles may also find this method to be more comfortable.

Currently, this vaccine is being administered only as a booster dose. China wants more people to get booster shots before it considers relaxing its strict pandemic restrictions.

As per data, 90% of Chinese people had completed their vaccinations as of mid-October, and 57% had had a booster dose.

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Non-needle vaccines require more thorough study to determine their effectiveness. Trials of this inhalable vaccine approved by Chinese regulators revealed that it stimulated an immunological response in people who had already received two doses of a different Chinese vaccine.

According to experts, a vaccine taken in the mouth could also fend off the virus before it reaches the rest of the respiratory system, though that would depend in part on the size of the droplets.

“Larger droplets would train defenses in parts of the mouth and throat, while smaller ones would travel further into the body,” Associated Press quoted Dr. Vineeta Bal, an immunologist in India.

In India, regulators have approved a nasal vaccine, licensed to Indian vaccine maker Bharat Biotech, but it has yet to be rolled out. Nasal vaccines are administered through the nose.

Researchers in France are working on a nasal spray vaccine, but trials have so far produced disappointing results.

According to the World Health Organisation, about a dozen nasal vaccines are being tested globally.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the rigid zero COVID policy to quash every outbreak by restricting travel and imposing lockdowns even when only a few COVID cases are found.

People in China have been confined to their homes, subject to mass testing programmes and enduring public travel controlled with apps. Recently, there has been a gradual lifting of COVID restrictions in Hong Kong and Macau. Rest of the region may also follow suit.