Australian researchers say they could deliver a breakthrough for COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide, allowing nurses to finally put down the syringe as a study to administer the medicine via a nasal spray gets a boost. The New South Wales (NSW) government has given Macquarie University Prof. Daniela Traini and University of NSW professor Pall Thordarson—core members of the NSW RNA Vaccine Production and Research Network—a $100,000 grant to deliver a needleless COVID-19 vaccine. They will be working with Sydney-based biotech company Medlab to investigate the use of nanotechnology to provide the same approved vaccines. Traini said her challenge is to ensure the vaccine is kept intact and fully functional within the nasal cavity. “The current mRNA vaccines, like Pfizer and Moderna, are delivered by intramuscular injection and have specialised refrigeration requirements,” Traini said. An alternative to the injection can alleviate the fear of needles often prevalent in many people, especially as …