Needle-free Flu Vaccines Found to be Just as Effective as Traditional Shot
A collaboration between Georgia Tech and Emory University has led to the development of a needle-free flu vaccine that works just as well as a shot, NBC News reported. “The hope is the vaccine will be cheaper, easier to give and more acceptable than a regular flu vaccine,” the article stated.
While team members from Georgia Tech have been working on this application for years, this is the first test of its kind, using a real flu vaccine. The results of the test show this microneedle laden patch “caused immune responses very similar to those elicited by vaccine administered by syringe.”
The microneedles, described by NBC News as “tiny needle-like points” on the patch are made out of the vaccine itself. All the user has to do is press the patch into the skin and the needles dissolve, administering the vaccine into the outer layer of the skin. Unlike traditional flu vaccinations, these patches to not need to be refrigerated and can easily be administered by the user with no assistance.
Not having as sore an arm the next day? Yes, please.
Watch Georgia Tech’s video further describing the microneedle patches here.
