Excerpt from WaPo
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As the omicron variant of the coronavirus moved lightning-fast around the world, it revealed an unsettling truth. The virus had gained a stunning ability to infect people, jumping from one person’s nose to the next. Cases soared this winter, even among vaccinated people.
That is leading scientists to rethink their strategy about the best way to fight future variants, by aiming for a higher level of protection: blocking infections altogether. If they succeed, the next vaccine could be a nasal spray.
[T]he winter surge of covid cases heightened the sense of urgency and changed some people’s thinking about the need for a nasal vaccine. Many scientists have hoped that as immunity is broadened in the population, the impact of future waves would diminish. But the omicron variant highlighted the virus’s potential to keep evolving as protection from existing vaccines wanes — a worrisome combination.
“Omicron did change the perspective, because I think before that, the consensus was that, yes, the ball will keep bouncing, but it will bounce lower and lower,” said Martin Moore, chief executive of Meissa Vaccines.
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Meissa is in clinical development of a COVID-19 intranasal live attenuated vaccine.
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