Vaxart COVID-19 vaccine

Vaxart COVID-19 Vaccine is an oral tablet vaccine candidate developed by Vaxart, a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California. The vaccine is designed to target the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the disease COVID-19. Unlike traditional vaccines, which are administered via injection, the Vaxart vaccine is designed to be taken orally.

Development

The development of the Vaxart COVID-19 vaccine began in early 2020, shortly after the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was published. Vaxart used its proprietary oral vaccine platform to create a vaccine candidate. This platform had previously been used to develop oral vaccines for several other diseases, including influenza and norovirus.

Clinical Trials

Vaxart's COVID-19 vaccine candidate has undergone several phases of clinical trials. The Phase 1 trial, which began in October 2020, evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine in healthy adults. The results of this trial, published in 2021, indicated that the vaccine was well-tolerated and induced an immune response.

Mechanism of Action

The Vaxart COVID-19 vaccine is a recombinant vaccine, which means it uses a harmless virus to deliver a piece of the SARS-CoV-2 virus's genetic material into cells. This triggers an immune response, which helps protect against future infection.

Advantages and Disadvantages

One of the main advantages of the Vaxart COVID-19 vaccine is its oral administration, which could make it easier to distribute and administer than injectable vaccines. However, as of 2021, the vaccine is still in the experimental stages, and more research is needed to determine its efficacy and safety.

See Also

• COVID-19 vaccine
• COVID-19 pandemic
• Vaccine