New measles vaccine can be inhaled by children
Katy Morton
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A measles vaccine that can be inhaled is to be tested in a clinical trial this summer.
The vaccine, developed by researchers at the University of Colorado, USA, is made of a dry powder dispensed in the mouth using a small plastic sack.
It is designed to target the respiratory tract where the measles virus originates. It costs around the same as an injectable form of the vaccine.
The researchers hope that the inhalant vaccine will end the use of needles and syringes, which can frighten children and can transmit diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation, measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children. In 2008 an estimated 164,000 children worldwide died of measles.
Phase one of clinical trials to test the safety of the inhalant vaccine will start this summer in Pune, India, and involve around 180 people.
If the trials are successful, other inhalant vaccines for illnesses may be made available in the future.
