Needle And Pain Free Vaccinations

Needle And Pain Free Vaccinations

The development of a needle - free vaccination delivery system has been identified by the Grand Challenges in Global Health ( GCGH ) initiative as one of the major challenges repugnant global health care today.

Millions of needles and syringes are used each day in health care. The World Health Organization ( WHO ) estimates that 12 billion injections are liable each year. Only about 5 % are used in the delivery of vaccines for immunization and prevention of infectious diseases. Even though vaccinations have saved lives over the years, there are some hurdles to overcome. One of these is the use of needles or " sharps " to deliver the vaccines.

According to Myron Levine of the Center for Vaccine Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine and member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization ( GAVI ) " three fundamental themes remain in common worldwide: first, high immunization coverage of target populations recurrently must be attained for maximum public health impact; second, most current vaccines are administered parenterally using a needle and syringe; third, there is a broad recognition of the need to find ways to manage vaccines without the use of ' sharps ' ( that is, needles and syringes ). "

The disadvantages of needle delivery of vaccine append:

( 1 ) Pain and irritation of vaccination site. A mammoth unit of our population is scared of needles, trivial as consequence of a previous bad experience. The majority of patients at the delivery end of vaccination are very inferior children beneath the age of two and needle pricks in this patient population can originate a lot of pain and distress. Needles may also create discomfort at the injection site long after the shot has been practical.

( 2 ) Absence of compliance. The World Health Organization ' s Expanded Scheme on Immunization ( EPI ) has recommended six basic vaccines for infants in developing countries: diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus toxoids ( DPT ), bacillus Calmette - Guerin ( BCG ), and attenuated polio and measles. In developed countries parallel as the US, more vaccinations are required by health authorities. However, for the so - called " herd bent " to work, a certain % of the population must buy with vaccination scheme.

( 3 ) Safety. Vaccination with needles produces dangerous infectious waste that come with serious health threats to both patient and health care professionals. The recycle of unsterilized needles has facilitated the transmission of blood - borne infections equivalent as HIV and hepatitis.

( 4 ) Speed and efficiency. Recently, the threats of bioterrorism and pandemic flu have highlighted the need of fast, easy and safe vaccine delivery to the folks should the need arise. Yep, vaccination using syringes and needles was not designed for these situations.

( 5 ) Cost - efficiency and logistics. Doing away with syringes and needles can make vaccinations in less developed countries cheaper and more accessible. Syringes and needles need to be ecstatic and stored for vaccination purposes. Injectible vaccines need to be frigid during transport.

Although needle - free delivery systems eventualize for many drugs, vaccines immediate a challenge since they generally consist of mammoth molecules that cannot be delicate delivered transdermally. Myron Levine summarized in a review article the different methods of administrating needle - free vaccines.

( 1 ) Vaccines delivered through mucosal surfaces. Though theoretically possible, this pattern of delivery hasn ' t fascinated on eliminate possibly with the use of the nasal inundate.

( 2 ) Oral vaccines. Specific vaccines can be inclined orally in the mold of pills. Verbal polio vaccine has present been around for awhile. Other vaccines can be delivered via this pilgrimage including certain types of cholera vaccines and the new rotavirus vaccines. However, this delivery passage presents some problems for very unpracticed infants who might not be able to swallow properly and whose digestive system may not be able to withstand the effects of the vaccines.

( 3 ) Nasal vaccines. The nasal vaccine through the respiratory tract is a very popular alternative to the flu shot. The FluMist™ nasal drool, made from live, attenuated, cold - opportune vaccine, has been approved by the FDA and is delivered using a single - use spraying device through the nostrils.

( 4 ) Aerosol vaccine. This mode of administration through the respiratory tract has been tested for measles vaccine. This is an alternative to the nasal sprinkle and can be used with liquid aerosol and dry qualification for mass immunization.

( 5 ) Needle - free percutaneous melanoid injection. This device works by propelling liquid through a small skin pore subservient high pressure. The liquid is then festive to the dermis and underlying tissues and muscles. There are multiple dose injectors available, making this type of delivery fast and practical for mass immunizations. However, it has the disadvantage of a high incidence of local irritation at the vaccination site as well as the option of transmission of infectious diseases.

( 6 ) Transcutaneous delivery. This is commonly known as the " vaccine patch " and is delivered via the skin. The adhesive patch is of assistance after a preliminary hydration, double time on the skin. The occlusive patch makes the skin permeable to the vaccine. The cutaneously suited antigens are then taken up by Langerhans cells endow in the higher layer ( epidermis ) of the skin allowing the immune - processing cells to migrate to the lymph nodes.

In recent years, several biotech companies have invested millions of dollars in developing, testing and finalizing different forms of needle - free delivery systems for all kinds of drugs, not only vaccines. The most expectant of the needle - free vaccination systems at this occasion is Trans Cutaneuous Immunization ( TCI ).

Several advantages of the TCI have been identified. including cost - effective, safe, fast distribution, easy storage ( can be stockpiled! ) and easy administration, with the thinkable for self - administration.

In 2007, American researchers unalloyed the competency of TCI with Clostridium stiff toxoid A in mice, with positive results. The bacteria C. demanding is the leading create of nosocomial diarrhea, e. g. infectious diarrhea transmitted in the hospital setting. Also in 2007, Johns Hopkins University researchers honest-to-goodness the protective efficacy of TCI with the heat - labile toxin ( LT ) of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli ( ETEC ). The results showed that the patch " induced anti - toxin resistant responses that did not prevent but mitigated the malady.

Apollo Life Sciences has developed and patented a needle - free drug delivery and in May 2007 it released the results of preliminary studies on needle - free transdermal delivery of tetanus toxoid vaccine in mice. Apollo has developed the non - invasive transdermal carrier, TransD™ which works by delivering " a protein - laden water layer across the skin and into the surrounding dermal and sub - dermal layers. It has quiescent to replace injections for biodrugs based on molecules homologous as interferon, heightening hormones and anti - TNF ( tumor end portion ). "

The TCI developed by the biotech determined Iomai, now owned by the Austrian company Intercell has recently made the expose. Drug Delivery Report described how it works: " Administration is a two - step process. First, the skin is fabricated by placing the utensil on the patient ' s might and pulling a tab. The tab draws a mildly abrasive substance across the skin, making a simple and midpoint meager notch and simultaneously takeoff an ink mark to indicate where the patch should be practicable. The patient then wears an adhesive patch [with the vaccine] for several hours. " The visionary design company Ideo helped designed the patch which required removal of an remarkably thin layer of skin ( about one - thousandth of an inch! ).

Currently, Intercell ' s vaccine patch against traveler ' s diarrhea or the so - called Montezuma ' s Pain is presentation promise. The disease is a major effect of diarrhea among travelers, with symptoms ranging from abdomen cramps to vomiting and diarrhea. Dr. Herbert DuPont of the University of Texas is one of the researchers involved in testing the vaccine. He told Reuters: " I anticipate it ' s one of the most groovy new developments in travel medicine. People could buy this and put it on themselves whenever they take a trip. It is the most convenient profile of immunization I have ever seen. "

The vaccine has been tested on visitors travelling to Guatemala and Mexico and showed 70 % talent against traveler ' s diarrhea. In spare field study of 170 travelers as part of the vaccine patch Go II trouble, the vaccine patch reduced the risk of developing moderate to severe traveler ' s diarrhea by 75 %. Exploit III clinical disaster are in process. If approved, this will be the first vaccine to prevent traveler ' s diarrhea. The study results were published in the Lancet and conclude that " the vaccine patch is safe and feasible, with benefits to the ratio and clash of travellers ' diarrhea. "

A second assured Intercell vaccine patch is targeted against the pandemic flu. If blooming, the patch will expand the limited vaccine supplies by allowing fewer or lower doses of vaccine. The program is funded by a United States Department of Health and Human Services contract. " The patch contains a vaccine made from the H5N1 influenza virus. Results of a Incident I / II adversity showed that a small amount of the vaccine triggered a yellow-eyed unsusceptible response in 73 % of the study participants. Story II disaster are expected to initiate in 2009.

Vaccination and immunization technology has changed a lot in recent years as it tries to meet the health challenges differing both developed and developing countries. The TCI or vaccine patch is a bright tool which will hopefully help solve some of the problems dissimilar regular vaccine delivery systems.