Lung injections help immune system
Lung injections help immune system
2008-09-26Newsfeed
Immune systems could be strengthened by flu vaccines being injected straight into the lungs, a study has found.
Immune systems could be strengthened by flu vaccines being injected straight into the lungs, a study has found.
An Australian study found that smaller doses of a seasonal flu vaccine injected into the lungs of sheep produced a higher level of antibodies than routine injections in another group.
This could prevent a shortage of vaccines in the event of a global flu pandemic by reducing the amount delivered in each dose.
Phillip Sutton of the Centre for Animal Biotechnology at the University of Melbourne said: "Our results suggest that delivery by the lung may allow a much lower dose to be used in the influenza vaccine, while inducing equivalent or perhaps even improved protection. This would mean more people would quickly be able to receive the vaccine."
The study is significant because influenza directly attacks the lungs and the virus is mainly passed on through sneezing and coughing.
A drawback is that the procedure used to deliver the vaccine is uncomfortable and difficult to perform on humans. The vaccine is currently fed into the lung using a tube called a bronchoscope.
Copyright � The Press Association 2008
