New Vaccine Raises Safety Concerns Amid COVID Risks

A new sprayable intranasal mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, CVXGA1, has shown effectiveness in its Phase 1 trial, but experts have raised safety concerns about potential viral shedding and risks to unvaccinated or vulnerable people due to its self-spreading viral vector. Research has also confirmed that individuals with neutralizing autoantibodies against interferon-alpha are at greater risk for severe COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of early vaccination for these and other high-risk groups. COVID-19 vaccination is strongly recommended for patients with systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis, who remain at increased risk for severe outcomes. Large-scale studies reaffirm that the risk of rare blood clotting events, such as VITT, is higher after COVID-19 infection than after vaccination, and is mainly associated with the first dose of adenoviral vaccines rather than mRNA vaccines. These developments highlight the ongoing importance of vaccination, especially for vulnerable populations, while also underscoring the need for vigilant safety monitoring and clear public communication about new vaccine technologies.