Vaccines of the Future

I was reading my March issue of Reader's Digest today and saw a very interesting article about vaccines. The article was entitled "Vaccines without needles" and it definitely got my attention. It basically said that the patch was not just for smokers or cruise-ship newbies anymore. "Intercell USA and Ideo have developed a method of transcutaneous immunization. It's in advanced FDA trials and will target diarrhea, then the flu."

Of course, if you have been following my blog you will know that I can't read something like that and let it go. I Googled it and found a lot of information. I am more than happy to share with all of you what I found. The first thing you have to understand is that the patch has its flaws. I know from experience that it doesn't always work. I have known a friend or two who were on the birth control patch and ended up pregnant. However, I have also known people who take heart medicine via patch and have done it successfully for years. I guess it all depends on how it's administered and how long the patch needs to remain on the skin for the vaccine to work. Also, the efficacy of the patch in relation to vaccines will have to be carefully assessed or else we will have a much bigger problem than the shots.

According to what I have read in the medical journals concerning the patch for vaccines, it seems that the results are very promising. They have actually tested them on people and the process seems very simple. The following is a good link:
http://www.ideo.com/work/featured/intercell
It actually shows the process through a slide show and it's amazing! I recommend you check it out. The part about it that fascinates me the most is that you in theory could vaccinate yourself! There was an article in Business Week that had some good applications for this type of vaccine. "Iomai executives believe that the patch's user-friendly design will catch the attention of the U.S. government, which has been looking for products that can be stockpiled and distributed during a much-feared outbreak of pandemic flu. With needles out of the picture, Iomai's product could allow patients to vaccinate themselves—eliminating the worry of overcrowded emergency rooms and overwhelmed physicians." That is something I had not thought about.

The way this vaccine works is that it penetrates through the "dead layer" of skin cells and makes it way to the Langerhans cells. This causes an immune response and then you are protected. It definitely sounds "too good to be true" but I am hopeful. Because of the way it's designed I would imagine that it would be harder for contamination to take place, and since it's manufactured in "single doses" that would mean that it would require less preservatives. Of course, I know very little about this vaccine so I am just giving my opinion. I will definitely keep my eyes and ears open and let you know if I find out anything new about it. I am definitely excited about the future!
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The future is limited only by
our imagination.
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