Needle-free vaccine delivery.
The need for minimally invasive delivery methods is urgent. As the number of registered vaccines increases, so does the number of injections. The use of sharps can be unsafe and needle immunisation is less suitable for mass immunisations during emergencies such as pandemics or bioterrorist attacks. The approach of combining vaccines has limitations due to high development costs, risk of pharmaceutical or immunological interference and economic risks. Advancements in the development of alternatives to injection with syringes and needles are discussed in this paper, and include: mucosal vaccination, injection without needles and vaccine delivery via the skin.
Kersten
Gideon
G
Netherlands Vaccine Institute, Research and Development Department, PO Box 457, 3720 Al Bilthoven, The Netherlands. gideon.kersten@nvi-vaccin.nl
Hirschberg
Hoang
H
D000287:Administration, Topical; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D007277:Injections, Jet; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D009339:Needles / Q000009:adverse effects; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical; D014611:Vaccination / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D004338:Drug Combinations; D014612:Vaccines