The importance of flu vaccines are highlighted by the fact that over 36,000 people die per year and about 200,000 people are hospitalized due to complications from the influenza virus each year. However, less than half of the American population actually receives a flu shot annually. The reason as to why people are not rushing to the physician’s office for a flu shot prior to flu season may vary. It may not be convenient to take time out of the day to schedule a time to get vaccinated. The thought of a shot or large needle in the arm may also people from receiving the vaccine. Basically, what people want is a convenient, safe and painless way to receive the flu vaccine and to protect themselves from this deadly disease.
A new flu vaccine patch could soon eliminate the need for needle-based flu shots. It opens the possibility for individuals skipping the annual flu immunization hospital visits, flu clinics, health departments and allows individuals to self-administer the vaccine on their own time.
This was verified by a group of researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology, who developed the patch and administered it to a group of individuals for testing who were able to successful administer the vaccine on their own.
The Flu Vaccine Patch Will Reduce Medical Staff Workload
In the words of Mark Prausnitz, a bimolecular professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, the institute's dream is to have flu vaccine patches sent via mail to individuals, readily available in stores offline and online. He said, “People will be able to carry them home and self-administer to the whole family. Our goal is to get more individuals vaccinated against flu, and more so without giving medical staff the burden of having to administer these vaccine to millions of individuals every flu season.â€
This will eliminate the extra task of administrating flu shots, which reduces that workload of the physical staff. They can focus more on providing quality health care and other medical services.
This will eliminate the extra task of administrating flu shots, which reduces that workload of the physical staff. They can focus more on providing quality health care and other medical services.
The Patch Could Be More Effective Than the Needles
The new flu vaccine patch is covered with a collection of 50 tiny micro needles that hardly penetrate the skin. The initial study focused on assessing how well individuals were able to use the patch and the results were impressive. People were able to use the vaccine without major problems and it was very effective as well.
More studies performed at the institute points out that the flu patch could be more effective compared to the flu shots since it is delivered via the skin and delivered into the body through the dendritic cells. The initial animal study showed that the patch performed just as effectively as the current flu shot vaccines. Considering that this occurred before Phase 1 of the study is quite impressive.
More studies performed at the institute points out that the flu patch could be more effective compared to the flu shots since it is delivered via the skin and delivered into the body through the dendritic cells. The initial animal study showed that the patch performed just as effectively as the current flu shot vaccines. Considering that this occurred before Phase 1 of the study is quite impressive.
The New Flu Vaccine Patch Will Reduce Medical Costs
According to the researchers, the new vaccine will save money in three ways. First, it will eliminate the costs associated with the medical center or flu clinic who would be involved in administering the shots. Secondly, one would not have to burn gas and time traveling to and from the physician's office or health department. Patients may also be able to save themselves a physician fee. The vaccine is designed to be administered from the comfort of one’s home. Lastly, the cost of the patch is projected to be significantly lower compared to the overall cost of a traditional flu shot when you add up all the medical costs associated with it.
It Will Increase the Number of People Who Get Vaccinated
In another study conducted by the group, only 45% of all Americans who are supposed to receive a flu vaccine actually receive one. The low cost of the new Flu vaccine patch coupled with the fact that individuals can conveniently self-administer it in the comfort of their homes, is projected to increase the number of individuals getting the vaccine once it becomes available.
It is Safer, Easy to Administer and Less Painful
Participants of the study were given a pain scale of 1 to 100 to compare the pain threshold of the vaccine patch to the needle. The flu patch received a rating of 1.5 rating while the needle received a rating of 15. The 91 respondents clearly verified that the patch was less painful and discomforting than the traditional flu shot or needle.
Additionally, 65 percent of the participants stated that they would receive vaccination the following year if the patch were available for use right now.
Additionally, 65 percent of the participants stated that they would receive vaccination the following year if the patch were available for use right now.
It Can Be Shipped and Stored at Room Temperature and Pressure
Unlike the traditional flu shots, the patch can be shipped and stored at RTP (room temperature and pressure). This would enable it to be delivered to almost every corner of the world.
Overall, the new vaccine patch displays an abundance of potential when it comes to simplifying the flu vaccination process and offering a truly revolutionary medical breakthrough. The patch has the potential to not only reduce flu-like symptoms and hospitalizations, but also save more lives. It will also minimize the cost of preventing influenza disease and make life easier for the patients as well as the medical staffs across the country or even the globe. After all, people appreciate low costs, convenience, safety, less pain and results. The flu patch has the potential to solve all those needs and more....It could also increase immunization rates and reduce the number of individuals who die from this deadly disease year after year.
Overall, the new vaccine patch displays an abundance of potential when it comes to simplifying the flu vaccination process and offering a truly revolutionary medical breakthrough. The patch has the potential to not only reduce flu-like symptoms and hospitalizations, but also save more lives. It will also minimize the cost of preventing influenza disease and make life easier for the patients as well as the medical staffs across the country or even the globe. After all, people appreciate low costs, convenience, safety, less pain and results. The flu patch has the potential to solve all those needs and more....It could also increase immunization rates and reduce the number of individuals who die from this deadly disease year after year.
Author Bio: Jeff Shjarback, MBA is a Digital Marketing Strategy Consultant that has worked as a Vaccine Specialist and Biological Products Specialist. Jeff enjoys blogging about internet marketing, small business, lead generation, economics, innovation & emerging technology, future trend analysis and business philosophy. Jeff is one of the main contributors to FluPatch.org. To learn more about Jeff, you can visit his Google Author Profile.
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