Hate needles? Well, an oral coronavirus vaccine that is in the works may be the best protection against COVID-19 and its mutations … that’s the hope of one of the owners of LA Lakers anyway.
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is the founder of ImmunityBio as well as a co-owner of Lakers, and his company is behind the tests that are being done at a research center in El Segundo, CA, to determine if a series of pills can replace injections to to vaccinate the population.
Researchers are experimenting with healthy volunteers under the age of 55 who have not yet had COVID. Some get shots, some get capsules and others get a combination.
Dr. Soon-Shiong says the value of ImmunityBio’s vaccine is that it generates ‘lethal T-cells’ that target the center of the coronavirus, which is less prone to mutation. Current vaccines create antibodies against the prickly part of the virus on the surface.
Although researchers are hopeful that the oral approach to creating T-cells could lead to greater protection against COVID … the co-owner of Lakers believes that capsules and injections that work together are key. Sorry, needle haters.
However, it may take some time before we notice it – the oral vaccine is only in experimental stages and the subjects will be closely monitored for the next 12 months.