Bye-bye tears? Single jab combining all vaccines is developed

So, it’s not here yet, but the technology is.

US researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology believe they have developed the technique which could see all childhood vaccines given by one single vaccination. The technology to do so has so far been tested on mice and consists of microscopic capsules that release a first dose and from then on boosters at specific intervals over an extended period of time. According to MIT News, the microparticles are said to resemble teeny-tiny coffee cups which are made from “biocompatible FDA-approved polymer." This material can be broken down at the required intervals - immitating the current way children receive vaccines. When studying the matter on mice, researchers were able to release contents at 9, 20 and 41 days without any previous seepages. Robert Langer, Professor at David H. Koch Institute at MIT said,

“For the first time, we can create a library of tiny, encased vaccine particles, each programmed to release at a precise, predictable time, so that people could potentially receive a single injection that, in effect, would have multiple boosters already built into it.” “This could have a significant impact on patients everywhere, especially in the developing world where patient compliance is particularly poor.”