For centuries, zoonotic diseases have been responsible for various outbreaks resulting in the deaths of millions of people. The best example of this is the current coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Like, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Nipah is another deadly virus, which has caused several outbreaks in the last few years. Though it causes a low number of infections, disease severity causes a higher death rate. Speculation can be done in the context of the recent COVID-19 pandemic that many countries will be unable to deal with the sudden onset of such viral outbreak. Thus, further research and attention to the virus are needed to address future outbreak(s).

Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has caused a deadly pandemic in the 21st century, resulting in many deaths, economic loss, and international immobility. Vaccination represents the only mechanism to defeat this virus. Several intramuscular vaccines have been approved and are currently used worldwide. Main body However, global mass vaccination has not been achieved owing to several limitations, including the need for expertise to administer the injection‐based vaccine, improper distribution of the vaccine, and lack of cold chain facilities, particularly in resource‐poor, low‐income countries. Mucosal vaccines are typically administered either orally or nasally, and several studies have shown promising results for developing these vaccines against SARS‐CoV‐2 that might serve as viable alternatives to current vaccines. SARS‐CoV‐2 invades the human body via oral and nasal mucosal surfaces; thus, an oral or nasal vaccine can trigger the immune system to inhibit the virus at the mucosal level, preventing further transmission via a strong mucosal and systematic immune response. Although several approaches toward developing a mucosal vaccine are currently being tested, additional attention is required. Conclusion In this article, the current approaches used to develop effective oral and nasal mucosal vaccines against SARS‐CoV‐2 and their benefits, prospects, and challenges have been summarized.

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