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Technologies to Improve Immunization

Summary

This research examines new technologies that could make vaccines easier to transport, store, and administer to people worldwide. The goal is to develop vaccines that don’t require refrigeration, are simple to give without needles, and are more affordable and accessible to everyone who needs them. Key impacts on everyday life: – Development of needle-free vaccines that could reduce fear and pain associated with shots – Creation of vaccines that don’t need refrigeration, making them easier to transport and store – New delivery methods like patches or nasal sprays that could allow self-administration at home – Reduced costs and improved access to vaccines in remote areas – Safer vaccination with less risk of needle injuries or contamination

Background

Immunization can be described as the process of delivering carefully packaged antigen to the appropriate destination in a vaccine recipient to produce a desired immune response. Immunization programs are package delivery systems that manage the flow of antigens between the point of origin at vaccine manufacturers and the point of consumption inside antigen-presenting cells of the vaccinee. While immunization is one of the most powerful tools for health, many current vaccines are not affordable, accessible, and acceptable to everyone who needs them.

Objective

To review immunization as a package delivery process, identify critical hurdles and barriers to vaccine flow, and examine new technologies in development that have potential to eliminate or reduce restrictions to vaccine flow. The goal is to increase capacity and efficiency of immunization programs and make immunization safer, more effective, affordable, accessible and acceptable for everyone.

Results

The review identified multiple promising new technologies including: thermostable formulations, novel packaging and reconstitution systems, needle-free delivery devices like jet injectors and microarray patches, mucosal delivery systems, and improved molecular antigen delivery approaches. These technologies could help overcome key logistical hurdles in vaccine delivery but face challenges in development, clinical testing, and regulatory approval.

Conclusion

New technologies for delivering antigen packages have potential to overcome logistical hurdles impeding vaccine access. Ideal vaccines would be thermostable, prefilled single doses that are simple to administer without needles. However, high development and licensing costs are major obstacles. Success requires advance commitment from stakeholders convinced that long-term benefits outweigh development costs. Integration of new stabilization, packaging, administration, and molecular delivery technologies could yield practically ideal vaccines in coming decades.
  • Published in:Plotkin's Vaccines,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.1016/B978-0-323-35761-6.00068-7
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