'Painless' flu vaccine skin patch shows promise

Conclusion Further testing in larger trials needs to be done to be sure these initial results hold true and that the vaccine patch is safe and effective. This is the first time these flu microneedle patches have been tested on humans, and the study was relatively small, with only 100 participants. But if the results are confirmed, this new method of delivering the flu vaccination could make a big difference. The patches could have several main advantages over traditional injections: they may be preferred by people who dislike needles and avoid vaccination because of the fear of pain it may be quicker and easier to administer the vaccine yourself, than to make an appointment to have an injection the patches don't leave dangerous "sharps" waste that has to be carefully disposed of they don't have to be kept refrigerated, making it easier to store and distribute vaccines While the idea of a "no injection" vaccine sounds great if you don't like injections, they may have a much bigger impact in parts of the world where it's difficult to reach and administer vaccines with a continuous cold chain, and where health care staff are in short supply. This study is a good example of animal research that has successfully progressed through to human testing. Seven years ago the journal Nature Medicine published promising results of this flu vaccine patch tested in mice, which we discussed at the time. Now it looks as if this has the potential to become one...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Medication Swine flu Source Type: news