A randomised trial has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of a microarray vaccine patch in protecting against measles and rubella.
The patch – the size of a small sticking plaster and developed by Micron Biomedical Inc – offers pain-free vaccination and has shown to be as effective as traditional measles and rubella injections.
Measles and rubella are highly contagious and are a major cause of death among children and young adults.
It is hoped that the needle-free vaccine will help boost vaccination coverage in low-resource settings.
Effective protection against measles and rubella
The vaccine patch trial was conducted by researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
The study involved 45 adults (18-40 years old), 120 toddlers (15-18 months old) and 120 infants (9-10 months old).
Over 90% of infants were protected against measles, and all infants were protected from rubella using the vaccine patch, which uses microscopic needles to deliver the dose.
The trial found no safety concerns with administering the measles and rubella vaccine via microarray patches.
Professor Ed Clarke, a paediatrician who leads the Vaccines and Immunity Theme at MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM and co-author, said: “Although it’s early days, these are extremely promising results which have generated a lot of excitement.
“They demonstrate for the first time that vaccines can be safely and effectively given to babies and young children using microarray patch technology.
“Measles vaccines are the highest priority for delivery using this approach, but the delivery of other vaccines using microarray patches is also now realistic. Watch this space.”
Increasing vaccination coverage
For adequate protection, the WHO recommends at least 95% two-dose measles vaccine coverage, and rubella requires 80% population immunity.
Microarray vaccines have been targeted as a major innovation to meet immunisation targets in low-resource settings.
Patches offer several advantages over conventional jabs, as they are easier to transport, significantly reduce the need for cold storage, and do not need to be administered by a medical professional.
This makes vaccine patches ideal for sub-Saharan Africa, and volunteers are expected to be able to administer the vaccines after brief training.
Moreover, as they do not use needles, the patches do not risk ‘needlestick’ injuries that can spread hepatitis and HIV infections.
Even in well-resourced countries with robust vaccination programmes, vaccine patches could offer a convenient and pain-free alternative to boost vaccination rates and overcome vaccine hesitancy.
