World’s First Inhaled COVID Vaccine Approved by China

Facts

• China has become the first country to approve an inhaled COVID vaccine for emergency use as a booster shot, using a harmless adenovirus as a carrier for genetic code to teach the body to fight the virus.
• The vaccine, called Convidecia Air, changes the liquid form of the vaccine into an aerosol using a nebulizer and can then be inhaled through the mouth using the nebulizer machine.
• The vaccine maker, CanSino Biologics, stated that the needle-free vaccine “can effectively induce comprehensive immune protection in response to SARS-CoV-2 after just one breath.”
• CanSino Biologics’ company shares were up by more than 14.5% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Mon., the day after the announced regulatory approval.
• CanSino’s initial one-shot vaccine was found to be 58% effective in preventing Covid-19 symptoms and 92% effective against severe disease, according to clinical trial data reviewed by the World Health Organization.
• The company reportedly needs to take additional steps before taking Convidecia Air to market, and CanSino said it’s unclear when the vaccine will be available.

Sources: BBC News, Fortune, Euro, Bloomberg, and WHO.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Nature. Nasal vaccines should act more quickly than injected vaccines and could theoretically reduce transmission while also preventing mild illness. With over 100 oral or nasal vaccines in development around the world, China has made the first step in what researchers hope will be a common way of treating COVID in the coming years.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Jakarta Post. With the vaccine lacking any publicly available verified or peer-reviewed data on its efficacy, the approval of CanSino’s inhaled vaccine may indicate that China is feeling the pressure of its zero-COVID policy — which disrupts travel and the wider economy — ahead of key political meetings next month.

Predictions