“Shared expectations lead to predictability.”
597. The first anticipated new method of being vaccinated is now used in China.
Q: Many people hate getting vaccinated with a shot. Is there another way?
A: China has one of the strictest regimens in place attempting to eliminate the Covid-19 pandemic. But not unlike in other countries, many Chinese citizens resist getting injections and being compliant with government rules. For what may be the first international example of an alternative to providing injected Covid vaccines, the Chinese city of Shanghai last week began to offer booster vaccines by inhalation. Vaccinations are administered by breathing in the vaporized medication through the mouth. Scientists and government officials hope to prove that vaccines that are inhaled will be more effective in areas with fragile health care systems and where people are unwilling to get shots in their arms. The public health goal in China is to get a greater percentage of the population protected with booster doses before they relax their strict and cumbersome restrictions in place throughout the pandemic.
The one-shot vaccine used in China was developed by CanSino Biologics, Inc., China’s bio-pharmaceutical company. This product is also distributed for use in Hungary, Pakistan, Malaysia, Argentina, and Mexico. Regulators in India have approved a nasal vaccine, but this has not yet been distributed for use. Many other nasal or vaporized vaccines are currently being tested, and in the future this method will probably be commonly available.
