Russia tests COVID vaccine as nasal spray for children; likely to be ready by September

The scientist who oversaw the creation of the Sputnik V vaccine said that Russia has tested a nasal spray form of its COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 8 to 12, and aims to introduce the new medication in September. According to a Russian news agency, Alexander Gintsburg, the chairman of the Gamaleya Institute, which produced Sputnik V, noted that the spray for children employed the same vaccine only instead of a needle, a nozzle is put on. Reportedly, Gintsburg was cited as saying during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin that the children's vaccine should be ready for distribution by September 15.

Russia nasal vaccine for children

According to Gintsburg, the study group tested the vaccination on youngsters aged eight to twelve and discovered no negative effects, including no increase in body temperature in the test group, as reported by the Russian news agency. As per reports, Gintsburg informed that they were inoculating little patients nasally; they were basically giving them the same vaccination as a nasal spray, without providing any other information on the study, such as the number of children involved.

Sputnik V vaccine 

COVID-19 vaccination from Russia,  Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac), is a two-part adenoviral vaccine that protects against SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus. Sputnik V was developed in Russia and utilizes a weakened virus to deliver small amounts of a pathogen and trigger an immune response. The Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) vaccine shortens the time it takes to develop protection to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. It's an adenovirus-based vector vaccination with the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus gene incorporated. Adenovirus serves as a "container" for delivering the Coronavirus gene to cells and initiating the synthesis of the new Coronavirus's envelope proteins, so introducing the immune system to the new Coronavirus.

The Sputnik V vaccine was developed at Russia's Ministry of Health's N.F. Gamaleya Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology. On August 1, 2020, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told reporters that the clinical trial had been declared completed, and on August 8, 2020, it was registered to the FSBI NF Gamaleya NITsEM of the Ministry of Health of Russia (Medgamal branch of NF Gamaleya NITsEM of the Ministry of Health of Russia).

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