"Why Mucosal Immunity May Be Necessary to Stop the Pandemic"

https://endpts.com/why-mucosal-immunity-may-b...-pandemic/

This is a sobering reminder of how hard it's going to be to get this under control.

Quote:

---

Mucosal immunity protects the parts of the body that are in contact with the environment, and in the case of a respiratory pathogen, that means the nasal cavity and the lungs. Because it is a localized type of response, a vaccine needs to be delivered to the appropriate compartment if mucosal immunity is to be stimulated. In the case of a respiratory pathogen like SARS-CoV-2 that means intranasal vaccine administration.

Without mucosal immunity, the virus may continue to thrive in a person’s nasal cavity allowing for easy transmission. This is why wearing a mask, even after vaccination with an intramuscular vaccine, will remain critical.

---