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Inhaled COVID-19 vaccine being tested in Canada
A needle-free COVID-19 vaccine developed at McMaster University in Hamilton is advancing to Phase 2 clinical trials, with researchers recruiting 350 volunteers to test its efficacy, the Hamilton Spectator reported.
The AeroVax study, led by Dr. Fiona Smaill, involves an inhaled vaccine designed to boost lung immunity against COVID-19 variants. Unlike traditional injections, the vaccine is administered through the nose, potentially reducing needle-related hesitancy and enhancing mucosal immunity, Smaill told the Spectator.
COVID remains a public health issue but is no longer considered a global emergency, having shifted from apandemic to an endemic state in most regions. Its severity has diminished due to widespread immunity, vaccines, and treatments, but it continues to pose risks, particularly for vulnerable groups
A Phase 1 trial with 36 local participants showed no side effects and a robust immune response in the lungs, with results under review by Nature Communications. The randomized, double-blind Phase 2 trial, conducted in Hamilton, Ottawa, and Halifax, seeks adults aged 18-65 who have received at least three mRNA COVID-19 vaccine doses.
Two-thirds of participants will receive the inhaled vaccine, while one-third will get a placebo.
The study aims to assess the vaccine’s effectiveness against severe outcomes and its potential for other respiratory viruses like influenza.
Recruitment began in April 2025, with trials expected to inform future vaccine strategies, including responses to pandemics like avian flu, Smaill said.
