A single deep breath could soon vaccinate a child against measles. Next year, India will start human trials of a measles vaccine that
will not require a syringe. Instead, a single long breath will deliver the vaccine straight into the child’s lungs.

This breakthrough — dry powder inhalable measles vaccine, if found to be as effective as the present day injectible vaccine — will do away with risks of dirty needle infections like HIV and hepatitis and will greatly benefit countries like India which seriously lack proper cold chain facilities and clean water.

The creator of the dry-powder vaccine, Robert Sievers from the University of Colorado, said, “The vaccine is moving toward clinical trials next year in India. Childhood vaccines that can be inhaled and delivered directly to mucosal surfaces offer significant advantages over injection. They may not only reduce the risk of infection from unsterilized needles, but may also prove more effective against the disease.”

According to Sievers, the present candidate vaccine could be a perfect option for areas of developing countries that often lack electricity for refrigeration, clean water and sterile needles needed to administer traditional liquid vaccines.

Dr Anupam Sibal, senior pediatrician of Apollo hospital, said, “Measles mortality among malnourished children is an important concern in India. So improvement in measles vaccine coverage will be a boon.”
He said, “Any option which is a non-injectible oral or inhalation is usually more attractive for parents who fear taking their children for an injection.” The Indian trials will be conducted by the Serum Institute of India. Officials in SII told TOI the human trials would start only next year when the animal studies prove successful. The Phase-1 study would see the vaccine’s safety on around 30 adults.

The inhaler developed by Siever’s team has been found to be just as effective in delivering measles vaccine as the injection during the animal tests. So far, an inhalable vaccine is available for only one disease. It is a wet mist vaccine for influenza
.

The weakened measles virus is mixed with supercritical carbon dioxide — part gas, part liquid — to produce microscopic bubbles and droplets, which are then dried to make an inhalable powder. The powder is puffed into a small, cylindrical, plastic sack, with an opening like the neck of a plastic water bottle, and administered.