No injections: scientists are testing COVID-19 vaccine in the form of a patch

Scientists from the University of Queensland in Australia reported about successful trials of a COVID-19 vaccine in the form of a small patch. It will help protect those who are afraid of needles and injections in general from disease.

The articleComplete protection by a single-dose skin patch – delivered SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccinepublished in Science Advances, Mueller and his team described how a patch vaccine successfully protected mice from exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Moreover, the immune response elicited by the patch was stronger than that of the same vaccine injected with a needle.

With the help of such a patch, the HexaPro vaccine, developed by the University of Texas, is administered. It can be stored at temperatures up to 8 ° C, eliminating the need for special freezers that are required for many other vaccines. At temperatures up to 25 ° C, the patch retains its properties for at least 30 days, and at 40 ° C - for about a week.

At the same time, HexaPro uses a stabilized form of spike protein, with the help of which the virus attaches to other cells, which means that the infrastructure for vaccine production is already in place all over the world. If necessary, the contents of the patch itself can be replaced; other drugs are administered in the same way.

These features make patch vaccination a much more affordable and convenient solution for the poor and the developing countries where there are no conditions for the storage and supply of conventional vaccines or simply do not have enough qualified personnel.

Now that the patch has proven its effectiveness in mice, a team of Queensland scientists, with support from biotech company Vaxxas, is about to begin clinical trials. Once successfully completed and officially recognized by regulatory authorities, such a vaccine could become available worldwide.