China has approved trials for its first nasal spray vaccine to combat the novel coronavirus that has claimed over 904,000 lives and infected more than 27 million people globally, official media here reported on Thursday.

China`s only nasal spray vaccine against the coronavirus is expected to start phase I clinical trials in November, and it is recruiting 100 volunteers.

Reportedly, It is the only vaccine of its type approved by China`s National Medical Products Administration. The vaccine is a collaborative mission between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland that involves researchers from the University of Hong Kong, Xiamen University, and Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy.

A microbiologist from the University of Hong Kong, Yuen Kwok-yung, said the vaccine stimulates the natural infection pathway of respiratory viruses to activate the immune response.

The nasal spray vaccination could generate double protection for vaccine recipients - influenza and the novel coronavirus - if it also contains influenza viruses including H1N1, H3N2 and B, Yuen said, adding that it would take at least another year to finish the three clinical trials.