Needle-free vaccines could be available within five years, but investment is needed

Researchers have called for pilot manufacturing facilities to be constructed ‘at-risk’, to ensure this game-changing technology is ready for deployment before the next pandemic. Needle-free vaccines could transform immunisation, but investment is needed to hasten their development and help protect against future pandemics. Without it, development is likely to languish, with the first licensed patches not available for another decade, researchers say. Vaccine microarray patches (vaccine-MAPs), also known as microneedle patches, consist of microscopic projections that are applied to the body like a small bandage, painlessly penetrating the skin’s outermost layer to deliver a vaccine to the top layers of the skin. They have the potential to overcome many of the logistical obstacles hindering vaccine deployment, ensuring these lifesaving interventions reach everyone, everywhere, as quickly as possible. Vaccine-MAPs could also ensure rapid deployment of protective vaccines in the event of future epidemics or pandemics. Game-changing technology As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, bottlenecks can occur...