A measles vaccine that can be inoculated simply by ``sticking a sticker on the skin'' instead of an injection will produce promising results in clinical trials, and the possibility that many children will be saved



Measles is a dangerous infectious disease that causes symptoms such as high fever and cough, and in the worst case, death. Although the onset of the disease can be prevented with proper vaccination, it is highly contagious, with almost 100% of cases occurring when an unimmunized person comes in contact with an infected person. It was reported that a clinical trial was conducted in Gambia , West Africa, to inoculate a vaccine that prevents the onset and epidemic of such measles with a ``skin sticker'' instead of an injection, and that promising results were obtained.

A measure vaccine delivered via sticker shows promising early results : Goats and Soda : NPR
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/26/1177678380/virtually-ouch-free-promising-early-data-on-a-measles-vaccine-delivered-via-stic



Vaccination is effective in preventing measles epidemics, but there are many areas in developing countries where vaccines are not available. is viewed. In March 2019, a state of emergency was declared in Rockland County, New York, prohibiting children under the age of 18 who have not been vaccinated against measles from appearing in public.

Public space curfew for children who have not been vaccinated due to the spread of measles infection is issued - GIGAZINE



In general, injections are used to inoculate the measles vaccine, but over the last 20 years, 'sticker-type vaccines that can be applied to the skin' have been developed. Sticker-type vaccines are made by arranging dried vaccines as 'small needles' on an adhesive patch like a bandage and sticking this adhesive patch on the skin.

A sticker-type measles vaccine developed by biotechnology company Micron Biomedical is a small plastic disc about the size of a coin, and it is said that a small needle vaccine will be administered in a few minutes by pressing it against the child's wrist. According to Steve Damon, CEO of Micron Biomedical, the sticker-type measles vaccine does not require specialized skills to administer, saying, ``By pushing the vaccine into the skin with your thumb, you can avoid using a needle or syringe. We can administer the same amount of vaccine as an injection,' he said.



With the measles sticker sticker, the small needles of the vaccine only penetrate the outer layer of skin, which lacks pain receptors, and the child feels no pain when inoculated. In addition, it is said that the feeling when sticking is at most the extent that the Velcro tape touched.

Micron Biomedical conducted a clinical trial in collaboration with the Medical Research Council of The Gambia to test the effectiveness of a sticker measles vaccine. The clinical trial involved 45 adults and 120 infants aged 15-18 months and 120 infants aged 9-10 months who received the measles vaccine by conventional injection or Micron Biomedical sticker.

When the research team evaluated the subject's immune response one and a half months after vaccination, a similarly strong immune response was confirmed in both injection and sticker vaccination methods. In a survey of parents of children who participated in clinical trials, the majority evaluated that 'vaccine stickers do not feel pain', and 90% answered that stickers are a better method of vaccination than injections. He said he did.

The results of the clinical trial will be announced at

Microneedles 2023 , an academic conference on microneedles held in May 2023, and the paper will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal soon. “This is the first exciting result that demonstrates the potential of micropatch arrays to deliver vaccines effectively and safely,” said Ed Clark, director of infant immunology at the Gambia Medical Research Council. doing.

It is said that sticker-type vaccines can be applied not only to measles but also to other infectious diseases such as rabies, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B, and further expectations are being received.



``This is a long-held dream technology,'' said Gregory Poland, a vaccine researcher at the Mayo Clinic who was not involved in the trial. It eliminates the need for trained medical personnel for this purpose, eliminates the fear of blood and bodily fluids coming out of needles, and does not generate medical waste like needles do.'

Dr Bigite Giesing, director of the WHO's Vaccine Products and Delivery Research Unit , said measles vaccines in sticker form are easy to deliver to areas where health facilities are scarce or difficult to access and may require refrigeration. It is said that there is an advantage that there is no In addition, vaccines injected with a normal syringe need to be diluted with clean water for multiple doses, but if it is a sticker type, it can be used without clean water, and the excess will not be thrown away.

'Vaccine patches help me reach out to more children and save lives,' said David Robinson, vice president of vaccine development and oversight at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funded the clinical trials. We believe it can help us achieve our mission.'



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