A New Norovirus Vaccine Pill Could Protect Against All Strains As Cases Reach Record High

Even as Norovirus infection is circulating at high levels across the United Kingdom, a new pill designed to protect against the winter vomiting bug is under trials. According to NHS statistics, the last two weeks have seen a record number of patients in hospital with Norovirus across the country.

At least 1,160 patients a day on average were in hospital with the highly contagious virus—more than double the level at the same period last year. Even as cases remain high, doctors have warned of a potential second wave—mostly likely to affect the elderly and kids.

However, along with norovirus, England has seen extremely high levels of quademic illnesses this winter, which include COVID-19, flu, and RSV, putting a lot of pressure on the NHS.

And so, according to experts, the best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated.

Since there are at present no licensed norovirus vaccines in use anywhere in the world, an early trial of a norovirus vaccine hopes to offer the required protection.

According to researchers from California-based biotech company Vaxart, which had earlier developed an oral norovirus vaccine to deliver a protein from the GI.1 norovirus variant into the intestine, the new pill would potentially be available for use in just a few years.

Scientists say the initial trial in adults under 50 years has found the pill could generate norovirus-specific antibodies in their guts. Now, the vaccine has been tested in the US in people aged between 55 and 80 years, according to the report by New Scientist.

Thirty days after the participants began taking the vaccine pill, their blood and saliva samples were collected, and the findings revealed the vaccine had higher levels of IgA antibodies, which can block norovirus from entering cells. These antibodies have shown more than 10 times an increase in their blood and around seven times an increase in their saliva, compared to samples taken before vaccination.

Also, the antibodies were found to still be present six months later, showing the vaccine could offer lasting immunity.

Experts say norovirus is a group of viruses that causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea and even though it is common, the outbreaks, which usually happen in colder months, can be deadly. Infection is the number one cause of foodborne illness in the United States.

Norovirus also causes gastroenteritis, which some people may call the stomach flu.

A few signs and symptoms of norovirus include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach pain
• Headache
• Fever
• Body aches

While most of the symptoms usually appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus and last one to three days, they are the same in both adults and children.

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