An under-the-tongue vaccine wouldn't only be easier to administer, but may also be more effective at combatting COVID-19 than an injection, according a study published by Oxford University Press.

That's because the best way to neutralise viruses is before they can enter human cells, while they are just on the external surface of cells in the lungs, nose, and mouth.

A specific class of antibodies known as Immunoglobulin A operate in mucus and can disable viruses - and experts say a vaccination that rapidly produces these antibodies would better prevent disease.

The study in Japan examined a new vaccination against COVID designed to increase production of the antibodies under the tongue in monkeys.

Researchers concluded that the method worked and the animals produced the necessary antibodies against the disease without detectable side effects.

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The study's findings come after researchers at UCLA developed a COVID-19 vaccine which they claimed prevented severe illness in hamsters.

"This conveniently administered, easily manufactured, inexpensive, and readily stored and transported vaccine could play a major role in ending the COVID-19 pandemic," those researchers concluded in March.

While doctors have previously used nasal vaccines in clinics, they have found that these vaccines tend to produce side effects, such as headaches and fever, on the central nervous system or lungs.

The team that tested on monkeys says further studies are still taking place regarding the safety and efficacy of an oral vaccination - but the development could be positive news for patients who don't like needles.