Indian scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind COVID-19 mucosal vaccine, which they say could be a game-changer in the way vaccines are delivered. For those who fear needles, Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals Limited or IIL – a leading vaccine manufacturer, has announced the development of a live-attenuated needle-free intra-nasal booster vaccine developed against SARS-CoV-2 using codon deoptimization technology.
Named CDO-7N-1, the vaccine, made in collaboration with Griffith University, Australia, is hailed as a groundbreaking work on the COVID-19 vaccine. The entire research has been published in the Science Journal Nature Communications. "This intranasal vaccine, named CDO-7N-1, is a live attenuated vaccine designed to be given through the nose, which could trigger both mucosal and systemic immunity with just a single dose," said Professor Suresh Mahalingam from Griffith's Institute for Glycomics.
How do the vaccines work? Related News | 
Explainer: As Meghalaya Boy Gets Polio From Vaccine, Let's Understand What's Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus
Polio Vaccine Myths Vs Facts: Expert Debunks Misconceptions Around Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus
According to IIL scientists, there are different formats of the vaccine available using codon deoptimization technology, which has remarkable stability and has maintained safety in extensive animal studies.
Codon deoptimization decreases the frequency of underrepresented codon pairs – the genetic determinant for amino acids – without changing amino acid sequences. It is a highly efficient virus attenuation strategy that utilizes suboptimal codon pairs to achieve attenuation of recoded viruses.
“This accomplishment signifies a major step forward in our battle against COVID-19. The development of this vaccine not only highlights our dedication to innovation in public health but also demonstrates IIL’s capability in adopting novel technology," Dr. K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited told reporters.
Related News | 
Mpox Outbreak: Vaccines May Not Protect Against Deadly New Viral Strain Clade 1B Spreading Rapidly, Say Experts
Dr. Kumar said CDO-7N-1 is intended to be a single-dose booster – an alternative to needles, without short- or long-term side effects. Unlike mRNA vaccines – like the ones developed by Pfizer and Moderna, which target only the spike protein, CDO-7N-1 induces immunity to all major SARS-CoV-2 proteins and is effective against all major variants to date, Dr. Kumar added.
Also, the vaccine remains stable at 4 degrees Celsius for up to seven months – making it suitable for low-and-middle-income countries.