WASHINGTON, 30 January 2008 — Relief may be on the way for all those youngsters trembling at the thought of another needle jab. One day the flu vaccine may simply be placed under the tongue.
South Korean researchers say the new vaccine worked in mice, avoiding not only the painful prick but also the discomfort some people feel from the inhaled vaccine.
The team led by Dr. Mi-Na Kweon of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul reported their findings in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Better ways of delivering vaccine have long been under study, ranging from orally to inhaled, but all seem to have drawbacks.
Now, Kweon and colleagues say, two doses of influenza vaccine under the tongue of mice primed the animals’ immune system to fight off what would otherwise have been a deadly dose of flu.
Next, they are turning their attention to people, to see if the under-the-tongue vaccine also prompts a strong immune response.
Placing a couple of drops of liquid under the tongue gets the vaccine directly to mucus membranes and prompts a response both in mucus tissues throughout the body as well as in the immune system itself, the researchers said.
Kweon said in mouse studies there is a theoretical possibility of a nasal spray reaching the central nervous system, which would not happen with the under-the-tongue vaccine.
The under-the-tongue vaccine worked whether it was a live or inactivated virus, Kweon reported. And, she added, it could also be flavored to make it more acceptable.
The research was funded by the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden and Kuwait.