KUWAIT CITY, Oct 14: The US Department of Health and Human Services has allocated over $500 million to support research for the development of COVID vaccines. In the future, COVID vaccines might not be administered through injections, but rather through nasal spray applications. This represents an example of the innovative next-generation vaccine technologies that federal health officials aim to assist in developing.

Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services unveiled its selection of three promising next-generation vaccine candidates to receive funding awards, marking the initiation of the planning phase for the second stage of clinical trials set to commence in the upcoming winter.

Among the selected studies, two are centered around nasal vaccine candidates, while one focuses on a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine candidate. These studies have been chosen to advance the fight against COVID and are part of the larger initiative named "Project NextGen," which is backed by a $5 billion government investment. This initiative aims to foster the development of new, sustainable vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus, building upon the previous allocation of more than $1.4 billion in August.

Dawn O'Connell, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the US Department of Health and Human Services, emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating that it propels scientific progress. While the primary focus is on combatting COVID, the research and technology being invested in are anticipated to have far-reaching implications beyond just this virus. The candidate vaccines are administered intranasally via spray applications in the nostrils, targeting viruses at the site of infection, as reported by CNN.