In the long war against the coronavirus, Spain has often found itself on the front line. During the early period of the pandemic, it briefly was the epicenter of the virus in Europe, and in October 2020, it became the first country in the EU to pass 1 million cases.

But now, a Spanish laboratory may have come up with a weapon that could wipe out the threat of COVID-19 for good.

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Currently, hundreds of vaccines are being developed worldwide, six in Spain. No vaccine on the market has claimed to be 100 percent effective. What's more, complete immunization is incredibly difficult to achieve – especially with a constantly mutating coronavirus.

A new kind of vaccine

CGTN Europe visited the National Centre for Biotechnology in Madrid (CNB), where they are developing a vaccine that would work against the coronavirus and any of its future variants. Sonia Zuniga, a researcher at CNB, said its vaccine could be a game-changer in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19.

"Our vaccine is RNA-based, so it's like Pfizer or Moderna, but there are differences. It's not just a limited quantity of RNA in one dose because it self replicates. "It gets stronger inside the person, so you don't need to take a larger dose or more doses. Also, it doesn't only protect against the individual virus spike. It protects against other proteins of the virus, giving a more efficient immunity."

The key to the vaccine's increased effectiveness is the way it is administered.

Right now, people receive their vaccines by getting an injection. Researchers are looking at a COVID-19 nasal spray that Sonia Zuniga says could have longer-lasting benefits.

"The intramuscular vaccines we have right now give systemic protection internally. So, it's basically the organs, but when you need immunity for the mucus membrane, which is located outside of the respiratory system, the best way is to protect and immunize that exposed part directly. That would be to receive an 'intranasal' inoculation," she added. 

Complicated approval process

The main issue with this form of the vaccine is the approval process, which is far more stringent than for the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca jabs.

When administered, intranasal vaccines take a route closer to the brain, raising the possibility of unwanted side effects; hence regulatory bodies are far more cautious.

However, researchers at the National Center for Biotechnology say the chances of that are minimal, meaning the days of double jabs and boosters could eventually be a thing of the past.