In the USA successfully ended clinical trials of a unique plaster acting as alternatives to traditional injection flu vaccines. The trick is that the inner surface of the pad contains microneedles that painlessly penetrate the skin and dissolve it, releasing the contained drug. The results of the research team of scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology can be found in the latest issue of the Lancet.
The benefit of using these alternatives to traditional vaccinations visible to the naked eye. First, the patch does not need to be stored in the refrigerator and transported in a special way. Secondly, there is no need for intramuscular injections in the walls of a specially equipped room of medical institutions. Thirdly, it is not as painful as an injection. The cost of vaccination using such a patch is greatly reduced, and the simplicity and availability of the procedure increases.
Patch tests on laboratory animals began a few years ago. In 2015 scientists have begun the first clinical trials in humans. They participated 100 volunteers from 18 to 49 years who did not vaccinate against influenza prior to epidemic season. The subjects were divided into four subgroups. The participants of the first band-aid was pasted medical officer. In the second group of people pasted a band-aid on their own. The third group got a placebo patch, and in the fourth – vaccine set in the traditional way, using intramuscular injections.
The test results showed that the patch is safe and effective in terms of delivery of the vaccine into the body. No side effects have been identified. Just a slight momentary discomfort to your stomach lining, but it quickly passed. Antibody titre on day 28 post-vaccination was comparable among the groups with the patch and injection. More than 70% of the subjects admitted that in the future would prefer it was a new method of vaccination by using a patch. The researchers decided not to stop there and is currently developing patches which will be able to replace vaccination against measles, rubella and polio.
Vaccination against influenza can replace plaster
Sergey Grey