By IANS
Melbourne : Australian scientists are working to develop vaccine delivery through a small skin patch rather than a needle.
Mark Kendle, a professor of the Brisbane-based Australian Institute of Bio-Engineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), and other researchers say the new delivery model will provide both physical and mental benefits.
There are about a billion vaccinations with needles and syringes in Africa each year and the WHO [World Health Organisation] estimates that about 30 percent of those are thought to be unsafe due to cross-contamination, reported ABC online – the online edition of Australia Broadcasting Corporation.
The vaccine delivery through a small skin patch will reduce such contamination and is perceived to be safer, the researchers said.