A new needle-free Covid-19 vaccine trial has begun to protect against future variants.
The vaccine, administered through a jet of air, was developed by Cambridge University Professor and Chief Executive of DIOSynVax, Prof Jonathan Heeney.
Participants aged between 18 and 50 years old, will take part in the trial at the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility.
Prof. Heeney said, “As new variants emerge and immunity begins to wane we need newer technologies.”
He said the vaccine, DIOS-CoVax, uses different technology to fight the disease which could provide much broader protection against Covid-19 variants and other coronaviruses, he said.
“It’s vital that we continue to develop new generation of vaccine candidates ready to help keep us safe from the next virus threats,” he added.
“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.”
Current Covid-19 vaccines use genes taken from the virus spike protein to encode antigens,which causes the immune system to produce antibodies.
This new vaccine uses predictive methods to mimic the wider family of coronavirus antigens that researchers hope will give more protection.
Prof Jonathan Heeney said the vaccine developed by his team was “innovative”
A spring-powered jet injection delivers it into the skin, offering an alternative to those who have a fear of needle-based injections.