Measles: a patch to protect children against the disease shows promise

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Photo credit, MRC Gambia Unit at LSHTM

image caption, In The Gambia, a young child has a microarray patch applied to his wrist to vaccinate him against measles.Article information

• Author, By Philippa Roxby
• Role, Health journalist

• 18 minutes ago

A vaccine patch could be a safe and effective alternative to protect children against measles, according to a trial conducted in Gambia.

The device – the size of a plaster – is easier to transport and store than traditional injections, particularly in remote areas.

Measles is a highly contagious disease, common among children, which can be fatal.

Protecting vulnerable children around the world is a priority, experts say.

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Microscopic needles

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

But now, scientists hope that microneedle patch technology can get vaccinations back on track and allow 95% of children to be immunized.

The microarray patch sticks to the arm and numerous microscopic needles deliver the vaccine through the skin, painlessly.

“There has been a lot of excitement about these extremely promising results,” said Professor Ed Clarke, pediatrician and head of vaccines and immunity at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia.

“They demonstrate for the first time that vaccines can be delivered safely and effectively to babies and children using microarray and patch technology.”

Photo credit, MRC Gambia Unit at LSHTM

In the trial, which involved more than 200 healthy toddlers and babies, the immune response to the patch was as strong as that to the vaccine.

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

The patch remained in place for five minutes, but this duration will be reduced to one minute or less in future trials, the researchers say.

And it could potentially be used against other diseases.

Rapid diffusion

The patch has several advantages over needle injections: volunteers with minimal training can apply the patch instead of doctors and nurses, and there is no longer a need to use refrigerators for transport and storage cold. It also reduces the fear of needles and the risk of injury from them.

Even in countries like the United Kingdom, where there is no shortage of such resources, the patches could be more convenient and encouraging for some parents whose children are not vaccinated, the researchers say.

The latest figures for England show a rise in measles cases, with a particular spike in recent weeks in London, where some areas have low measles vaccination rates.

In these communities, it only takes one child to catch measles for it to spread quickly, health experts warn.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides the best protection against measles.

Two doses are recommended when children enter primary school, but older children and adults can get vaccinated at any time.

Vaccine equity

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, around 83% of children will have received a dose of measles vaccine before their first birthday, the lowest rate since 2008.

In the same year, measles caused around 136,000 deaths, mainly among children under five who had received only one dose or were not vaccinated at all.

Dr Ikechukwu Adigweme, co-author of the study, said: “We hope this is an important step in the right direction: “We hope this is an important step in the march towards greater vaccination equity among disadvantaged populations.

Larger trials in unvaccinated children are now planned to determine whether the patches could be deployed on a larger scale.

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