Fridge-less Vaccines - A New 'Hot' Discovery

In the realm of Global Health (and other sectors) the call for measuring changes in global health outcomes is increasingly strong. Considering the multi-millions of dollars that are spent on certain initiatives, these claims are not unfounded.

Although not a health outcome improvement per se, a recent BBC News article highlighted a major breakthrough in the field of vaccine delivery.

Oxford University scientists, in collaboration with Nova Bio-Pharma Technologies, have found a way to keep vaccines stable without refrigeration. Their research was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The research findings were published in the February Issue of Science Translational Medicine and the free abstract is available here.

Before we get into the great potential this discovery can have in terms of access to vaccination, first, why do vaccines need to be kept so cold anyway? According to the paper, "vaccines based on live viruses must remain infectious to be effective, so therefore need continuous refrigeration to maintain stability and viability, a requirement that can be costly and difficult, especially in developing countries." So basically, if the organism gets too hot, it will die, and therefore, it won't work.

That sounds straightforward enough to me, and as someone who has spent 6 plus hours in a jeep traveling from Nairobi to Mombassa, I can understand how difficult it can be to get chilled vaccines to remote places (it's hot!). As the article states, it is costly and difficult.

As science would have it, a straightforward problem can have a (relatively) straightforward solution: sugar. The scientists have found a way to treat vaccines with a succrose-based solution pior to drying it onto a thin membrane, enabling the vaccine to keep its quality in tact, and be stored for 45 degrees C for up to 6 months!

It doesn't stop there. The membrane (like a very thin piece of paper, with the vaccine and solution dried to it) can "be incorporated into a holder attached to a syringe for almost simultaneous reconstitution and injection at point of use". Think of the possibilities with that one. The supply chain gets simpler, cheaper, and faster so more and more people are vaccinated quickly and according the the schedules they must adhere to. I'll be keeping an eye on this one!

Photo: Dr. Adrian Hill, Lead Investigator; Photo Credit: GRACE