Development of an Oral Delivery System for COVID-19 Vaccines Using Thin Polymer Strips

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To overcome the current pandemic, a vaccine will need to be developed. However, conventional vaccination via sub-cutaneous injection is expensive, time-consuming, and operationally complex; it will require many months or even years to complete, significantly prolonging the pandemic recovery process. This project aims to develop a robust, convenient, and easily administered delivery system for the eventual SARS-COV-2 vaccine, avoiding sub-cutaneous injection and the requirement for trained healthcare professionals in the vaccination process. This system will use thin polymer strips that dissolve rapidly (within several seconds) in the mouth and are loaded with viral antigens, providing an alternative vehicle that can easily and conveniently deliver a precise dose of vaccine to the sub-lingual mucosa. It has already been shown that sub-lingual vaccine delivery in liquid form is effective in producing an immune response to a variety of infectious agents. This project will advance these results to the thin-film platform, allowing vaccinations to be carried out in an operationally simple manner, and enabling the pace of global vaccination to dramatically increase.