Background: Vaccines that are shelf stable and easy to administer are crucial to improve vaccine access and reduce severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission around the world.
Methods: In this study, we demonstrate that an oral, adenovirus-based vaccine candidate protects against SARS-CoV-2 in a Syrian hamster challenge model.
Results: Hamsters administered 2 doses of VXA-CoV2-1 showed a reduction in weight loss and lung pathology and had completely eliminated infectious virus 5 days postchallenge. Oral immunization induced antispike immunoglobulin G, and neutralizing antibodies were induced upon oral immunization with the sera, demonstrating neutralizing activity.
Conclusions: Overall, these data demonstrate the ability of oral vaccine candidate VXA-CoV2-1 to provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 disease.
Keywords: COVID; SARS-CoV-2; hamster; mucosal; oral vaccine.
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