Vaccine plasters could spell the end for childhood jabs

'Watch this space.'

Childhood vaccines could soon be given painlessly in the form of plasters delivered in the post instead of jabs at the GP.

Results from a milestone trial have shown the patches are just as safe and effective at protecting against measles and rubella as injections, instead using microscopic needles to deliver the vaccine through the skin. Similar technology is used in skin patches designed to monitor blood sugar levels.

Unlike traditional vaccines, the patches do not need to be administered by a trained medical professional. They are also more thermostable, meaning they can be stored at a wider range of temperatures, and are easier to transport.

Doctors are hopeful that the pain-free alternative will not only encourage more parents to get their children vaccinated, but also help extend coverage in areas where access to jabs can be difficult, such as in sub-Saharan Africa.

The potentially game-changing results were unveiled as it was announced worldwide measles infections almost doubled between 2022 and 2023, with missed jabs during the Covid pandemic and vaccine hesitancy contributing to soaring infections.

In the UK, uptake of the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has fallen to less than 85% for a second dose, well below the threshold of 95% target required for herd immunity.

The country was declared measles-free in 2016, but had its status stripped in 2019.

The new vaccine trial, which took place in The Gambia, involved 45 adults under the age of 40, 130 toddlers between 15 and 18 months old, and 120 babies aged 9-10 months.

Participants either received either a microneedle patch (MNP) containing the vaccine and a placebo injection, or a placebo MNP and a live vaccine injection, ensuring all were protected against the disease.

More than 90% of babies were protected from measles, and all infants protected from rubella, ensuring the same coverage as traditional vaccines.

The trial was led by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and published in The Lancet.

Co-author Professor Ed Clarke, a paediatrician from LSHTM, 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.’

While the results of the trial are extremely promising, the study sample size means more research is required before the patches can be approved for widespread use.