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A SIMPLE PATCH that is placed on the skin of the wrist for 20 minutes has been found to deliver a flu vaccine safely and effectively.
The success of the first human trial of the use of the ‘microneedle patch’ has given rise to hopes that its use could cut down on ‘sharps’ waste caused by disposable hypodermic needles and increase the uptake by the public in getting the flu vaccine.
The vaccine-infused patch, which is pressed onto the wrist until the microneedles dissolve painlessly into the skin, was self-administered by a test group and remains stable up to 40 degrees Celsius for one year, meaning it could be made available at pharmacies.
The trial, carried out in the US by Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, saw 100 test subjects who had not received the flu jab that year divided up into four groups. The Lancet reports that each of the groups received either a vaccine microneedle patch administered by a health professional; a vaccine injection administered by a health professional; a placebo microneedle patch administered by a health professional; or a self-applied vaccine microneedle patch.
The Lancet reports:
The researchers also found that 28 days after the vaccination, those who had received the flu vaccine through the microneedle patch showed a “robust immune response” with antibody levels similar to those who received it by needle.
Commenting on the research, a spokesperson from the National Infections Service in the UK said that the results of this first trial were “promising” and that “exciting features of the microneedle patch are its low costs, safety and storage aspects”. These features, it was suggested, could potentially encourage a better uptake of the vaccine in vulnerable groups such as young children and for those in “poorly-resourced settings”.
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