Starting next year, the vaccine against covid-19 will officially enter the National Vaccination Calendar in Brazil. This means that risk groups, including the elderly, immunosuppressed, pregnant women and healthcare professionals, will receive a dose of the formula annually. Children from six months old will also be protected. The proposal from experts in the field is that 100% Brazilian vaccines be used as soon as possible, such as SpiNTec, for this routine immunization.
“We are in the race for SpiNTec to be the vaccine that will be offered annually in vaccination campaigns in Brazil”, says Ricardo Gazzinelli, coordinator of the Vaccine Technology Center (CTVacinas) at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and team leader which is developing the national vaccine against Covid-19, for Fapesp Agency.
The use of national vaccines is completely in accordance with public health policies. For example, the annual immunization against influenza (influenza) is carried out with the trivalent formula from the Butantan Institute. So, “it doesn’t hurt to dream”, adds Gazzinelli. The point regarding SpiNTec is that the formula has not yet completed clinical testing, but it has numerous known advantages.
Why use the SpiNTec vaccine?
The expert’s understanding is that, if it is demonstrated that the vaccine against Covid-19 is safe and effective, it will most likely be able to provide longer-lasting and more effective protection than other immunizers currently available in the country.
For example, the duration of protection generated by mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines is classified as low and this technology requires recurring booster doses as the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus mutates — recently, the discovery of a new strain was announced, known as JN.1.
On the other hand, the bet is that SpiNTec will be able to generate an improved immune response, inducing the production of T-lymphocytes, that is, defense cells capable of recognizing and generating a response against various parts of the covid-19 virus molecule. .
This is possible because of the design of the vaccine, as the formula seeks to sensitize the immune system against two structures in the “body” of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus: the S protein (Spike) and the nucleocapsid protein (N). In fact, it is the combination of the two structures that form the first part of the name of the current Spi + N immunizer. In the case of mRNA formulas, the focus is only on the S protein, which is more changeable.
“We are betting on the possibility of having a pan vaccine, that is, one that is effective against all types of coronavirus variants”, details Gazzinelli about the possible particularities of the Brazilian vaccine, made with the support of Fapesp and other Brazilian bodies.
Challenges of the national covid vaccine
To enable the adoption of the SpiNTec vaccine within the Unified Health System (SUS), scientists must complete the second phase of clinical studies, with more than 350 participants, and complete the last stage of the research. They will then need to receive approval from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).
The entire process is long, but viable. However, another possible challenge for incorporation into the SUS is that the formula is not the only national one to have these plans. For example, Butantan is also developing its own vaccine against Covid-19, ButanVac, in the human testing phase.
Source: Fapesp Agency