New boosters protect against the original COVID strain as well as Omicron. In future, we might see variant-proof vaccines or those delivered in the nose or mouth.
An inhaled COVID-19 vaccine would go directly to where the body would use it: the mucosal surface of the airways. This could mean less waste and more benefit, lower costs and reduced side-effects.
Research suggests that giving a person a vaccine through their nose can provide a better defense against future exposure to the coronavirus compared to a shot in the arm.