New COVID-19 vaccine research focusing on nose and throat

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A new COVID-19 vaccine is in clinical trials.

Many of us have received doses of MRNA vaccines, which help reduce severe coronavirus cases, hospitalization, and death.

Doctors are trying to find a way to curb the infection from starting in the first place.

The idea is to fight COVID-19 right where it attacks first, in the nose and threat.

“Some of this actually comes right here from UVA. Professor Jie Sun is the first person to understand that the current vaccines - MRNA vaccines - don’t give you immunity in your nose, and that’s the reason they’re not as good as protecting you from infection,” Doctor Bill Petri said.

Dr. Petri says the original research was done on hamsters, a good model because they have receptors similar to humans.

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