James Gathany/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that a microneedle patch currently being developed could be a major advancement in the effort to vaccinate people against measles and other diseases.
The patch, being developed by the CDC and the Georgia Institute of Technology, is designed to be administered by workers with minimal training. It would also simplify storage, distribution and disposal, as compared to traditional vaccines.
A CDC press release said the square centimeter patch could be administered with the press of a thumb. The underside of the patch contains 100 “solid, conical microneedles made of polymer, sugar, and vaccine that are a fraction of a millimeter long.”
The CDC says that when applied, the microneedles press into the skin and dissolve within minutes, releasing the vaccine. Afterward, the patch can be discarded.
“Every day, 400 children are killed by measles complications worldwide,” said James Goodson, epidemiologist from the CDC’s Global Immunization Division. “With no needles, syringes, sterile water or sharps disposals needed, the microneedle patch offers great hope of a new tool to reach the world’s children faster, even in the most remote areas.”
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