Flu vaccine patch microneedle could replace shots quoting : Business Insider

An experimental patch could one day replace the annual flu shot. For the flu vaccine, this was the first time the patch was used in humans. Once on the skin, the vaccine can enter the body, preparing the body to fight off the flu virus. Before the patch can be approved it will need to go through more testing to determine just how well it can protect against the flu virus. Here's how it works: A patch containing tiny needles — so tiny they're virtually painless — filled with the vaccine is stuck onto the skin.




An experimental flu vaccine patch with dissolving microneedles appears safe and effective, a preliminary study shows. "A particularly attractive feature is that this vaccination patch could be delivered in the mail and self-administered. The flu vaccine is released by the microneedles, which dissolve within a few minutes. "This development eliminates the need for intramuscular injection [a flu shot] by a health care professional," he added. The patch has 100 solid, water-soluble and painless microneedles that are just long enough to penetrate the skin.

New experimental vaccine patch could replace getting shots from your doctor

An experimental vaccine patch is being tested on the flu vaccine, administering it through 100 dissolving "microneedles." "One of the biggest advantages is that it doesn't have to be refrigerated, so ease of transport, ease of delivery," explained Dr. Edwards. Still, Dr. Edwards calls this "a step in the right direction" toward changing the future of vaccination. "I think it's brilliant," remarked Dr. Edwards. "Not really that scared," he said about getting shots, although it was a different story when he was four.


collected by :Lucy William

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