Vaccines Global Summit

The mucosal vaccines are a new approach in immunization by targeting the mucosal surfaces, which include the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital tracts, as these are some of the major portals through which most pathogens enter. The vaccines are designed to establish immunity directly at these entry points to guarantee infection from the point of entry. Mucosal vaccines can be administered either intranasally or orally, thus allowing patients to have more acceptable delivery systems of vaccines that are otherwise injected into a patient's body.

One of the classes of mucosal vaccines is nasal vaccines. A specific example of a nasal vaccine is FluMist, which is a live-attenuated influenza vaccine, administered in a sprayer that sends the weakened version of the influenza virus straight to the mucosal membranes lining the nasal passages, thereby inducing a significant immune response. Nasal vaccines are highly effective in respiratory infections because they attack the organs infected at the site of infection and can provide localized immunity.

Another very important category of mucosal vaccines is the oral vaccines. Amongst the most successful representatives of the latter is the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which has significantly contributed to the reduction of polio cases worldwide. The vaccine is taken orally and provides intestinal immunity to the gut, where poliovirus usually replicates. Oral vaccines are especially advantageous for global health efforts because they are easy to administer, do not require needles, and are well-suited for mass vaccination campaigns.

Further development of mucosal vaccines for other diseases like rotavirus and cholera has also shown that such vaccines could indeed be an alternative approach. These vaccines evoke the immune response at mucosal surfaces within the gastrointestinal tract, the entry portal of pathogens in a human body. Mucosal vaccines have further advantages, other than an easy route of administration. They elicit mucosal immunity and provide an additional barrier at the body's first point of defense.

Such immunization protects the individual against infection and will contribute to reducing the onward transmission of pathogens. As the research moves forward, this platform may come into crucial use for a variety of diseases, ranging from respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19 to gastrointestinal diseases. Being non-invasive and providing effectiveness, mucosal vaccines should be very promising for further development in global immunization efforts.