Inhalable measles vaccine may provide respite from injections
POSTED August 18, 2009 - 13:46 | POSTED BY Jyoti Pal
Last edited by Priya Markanda on August 18, 2009 - 14:25
The vaccine will get delivered straight into the child’s lungs when inhaled and do away with the unsafe practice of using potentially hazardous needles. So far, an inhalable vaccine is available only for the wet mist vaccine for influenza.
The development of the vaccine entails the mixing of a weakened measles virus with carbon dioxide, which is part-gas, part-liquid, to produce microscopic bubbles. These bubbles are then dried into an inhalable powder.
Dr. Robert Sievers said, "With one deep breath from the sack, a child could be effectively vaccinated."
Boon for developing nations like India
The dry vaccine would just be what the doctor ordered for the developing nations which have paucity of electricity and water. The present day injectable measles vaccine requires refrigeration, unsoiled water and disinfected needles, which is a tall order for such countries.
Robert Sievers said of his creation, “The vaccine is moving toward clinical trials next year in India. Childhood vaccines that can be inhaled and delivered directly to mucosal surfaces offer significant advantages over injection. They may not only reduce the risk of infection from unsterilized needles, but may also prove more effective against the disease.”
The option of an oral vaccine instead of an injection is also likely to appear more appealing to the parents.
Dr. Anupam Sibal, senior pediatrician of Apollo hospital said, “Measles mortality among malnourished children is an important concern in India. So improvement in measles vaccine coverage will be a boon.”
Clinical trials in India
Once the animal studies provide evidence on the efficacy of the vaccine, the Serum Institute of India will start clinical trials on human beings. The trials are likely to start as early as next year.
The 1st phase of the trials would entail a safety check of the vaccine on 30 adults.
Measles and its related complications account for over 2,00,000 deaths in children every year in India. Nearly 10 percent of pre-school mortality is caused by measles.
An estimated 21 million pre-school children contract measles virus infection and another 16 million develop clinical measles in the country every 12 months.
