 The global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has been instrumental in reducing the impact of the pandemic on populations worldwide. However, the first generation of vaccines did not provide complete protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection or transmission due to their limited ability to induce mucosal immunity. This led to the continued emergence of variant strains of concern, as well as breakthrough infections. In order to address these issues, researchers are exploring new strategies for developing more effective vaccines. These include the use of novel adjuvants, as well as approaches that can elicit both mucosal and systemic immunity. One such approach involves the use of an adjuvant-free platform that can induce robust mucosal immunity without the need for live attenuated virus. This article was authored by Raju Sunagar, Amit Singh, and Sudeep Kumar.