As a community medicine specialist, we frequently encounter with immunization and vaccination process. My journey of encounter with vaccination started during my internship (2011-2012) when I was posted in Immunization Clinic of Darbhanga Medical College & Hospital, Laheriasarai, Bihar. I used to go to the clinic daily at 9:00 am and many mothers along with their small child use to come to the clinic for vaccination. Some children were brave enough to bear the pain of the injections of the vaccine but some of them use to scream badly and their mother used to get upset. They used to ask the vaccinator that whether they are going to inject all the scheduled vaccines on single day only or they will inject some of them on later dates, as there were multiple pricks for a single child apart from the oral one. After my internship, I completed my post-graduation in Community Medicine from Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi and became a faculty in a private medical college. I was assigned to run the immunization clinic of that hospital along with the nurses and interns of the college posted in community medicine. Again, I saw faces of worried mothers because of multiple pricks of injections at single sitting in the immunization clinic. Sometimes they use to refused to take the 2nd or 3rd injection of the vaccine. Moving ahead I encountered same situation leading to vaccine hesitancy in the rural pockets of Jharkhand while I was on field visit for a project.
Recently I read an article mentioning about the Vaccine Microarray Patches (VMAPS) by UNICEF which I thought is something which can help those worried mothers who refuses to vaccinate their children due to multiple pricks of injections in a single sitting.
The Barrier
Recent measles and vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks highlight the significance of maintaining high levels of coverage to completely eradicate illnesses. Since the existing injectable vaccinations rely on a working cold chain and administration by skilled workers, which can be difficult, especially when working in unstable circumstances and harsh climates, it is difficult to reach the last mile with them. In addition, most vaccines are given as injections, which come with the potential for pain, discomfort, and hesitation as well as the dangers posed by syringe waste.
The Solution
The vaccine-containing microarray patch (VMAP), an intradermal delivery system for immunizations, is a ground-breaking novel technology with the potential to greatly boost worldwide immunization coverage. VMAPs offer an alternative to intramuscular and subcutaneous immunization techniques and may improve patient and caregiver acceptance while simplifying vaccination administration. Without the need of needles, VMAPs can increase safety during administration, lessen the need for cold chains, make storage and transport easier, and eliminate the dangers associated with needle waste.
Types of VMAPS
To distribute dry vaccines, two different MAP technologies are currently being developed: coated microneedle arrays and patches made of dissolvable microneedle arrays. Vaccines against the human papilloma virus (HPV), influenza, measles (M) & rubella (R), and rabies are among the VMAPs now in development.
Expected outcome.
VMAPs have the potential to significantly improve immunization rates while lowering the frequency and severity of outbreaks. With more equitable access to vaccinations, VMAPs have the potential to significantly increase government efficiency and resilience, enabling them to increase immunization coverage and stop millions of deaths.
References:
- https://www.unicef.org/innovation/vaccine-microarray-patches-vmaps [Last accessed on 19th September 2023]
- Product Innovation at UNICEF | UNICEF Office of Innovation [Last accessed on 19th September 2023]
Really thanks for this informative blog. This really help many of the vaccinators to avoid too many pricks at a single time.
It’s a news to me! Good job sharing
Nice