Plaster shows promise for preventing measles in children

A trial in The Gambia suggests that a vaccine patch may be a safe and effective alternative to protect young children against measles.

The device – the size of an adhesive plaster – is easier to transport and store than regular needles, especially in remote areas.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that is common in children and can be fatal.

Protecting children at risk globally is a priority, say experts.

Despite a highly effective measles vaccine, falling vaccination rates since the Covid-19 pandemic have left millions of children unprotected, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

But now scientists hope that microneedle-patch technology will get 95% of children vaccinated on track.

A microarray patch is attached to the arm and many tiny needles deliver the vaccine through the skin, without feeling any pain.

Pediatrician Professor Ed Clarke, head of immunization and immunology at the Medical Research Council’s Department of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in The Gambia, said: “These are very promising results that have caused a lot of excitement.

“They demonstrate for the first time that vaccines can be safely and effectively administered to infants and young children using microarray-patch technology.”

In the trial involving more than 200 healthy teenagers and children, the immune response to the patch was as strong as in Japan.

After one dose, more than 90% of babies were protected from measles and all babies were protected from measles – and there were no safety concerns.

The patch stayed in place for about five minutes – but this will be reduced to a minute or less in future trials, the researchers said.

And finally it can be used in other diseases.

The patch has several advantages over syringes – volunteers with minimal training can apply the patch rather than doctors and nurses, and there is no need for transport and cold storage refrigerators. It also reduces people’s fear of needles and the risk of injury from them.

In countries such as the United Kingdom where these resources are lacking, the fixes may be more convenient and attractive to parents of some young unvaccinated children, the researchers said.

of Latest figures Measles cases in the UK are on the rise, with some increases in London in recent weeks, with some areas having low measles vaccination rates.

It only takes one child for measles to spread rapidly in these communities, health experts warn.

Measles, Measles and Measles (MMR) Japan offers the best protection against measles.

It is recommended that children receive two doses when they start elementary school, but older children and adults can receive vaccines at any time.

That same year, about 136,000 died from measles, mostly under the age of five and who received only one dose or none at all.

“We hope this is an important step in the journey to achieve greater vaccination equity among disadvantaged populations,” said co-author Dr. Ikechukwu Adigweme.

Larger trials among young unvaccinated children are now planned to see if the vaccine can be widely distributed.