But now there may be an easier alternative in the form of a patch that can be simply applied to the skin like a bandage.
Early data from a patch trial of the vaccine conducted in The Gambia showed promising signs that it may be effective in protecting children against measles.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has been helping develop these vaccine microarray patches (MAPS) for several years already.
Birgitte Giersing, team leader of WHO’s Vaccine Products and Delivery Research Unit, said the patch could be a major breakthrough in protecting vulnerable populations from preventable diseases.
groundbreaking potential
“These are potentially groundbreaking vaccine delivery technologies that could really contribute to increasing coverage of life-saving vaccines like measles and rubella, especially in low-resource settings,” she told reporters in Geneva.
“And that’s because they can be delivered more easily than vaccines that have to be injected, especially in outbreaks or humanitarian emergencies.”
Dr. Giersing explained that the patch could be particularly useful in fighting measles and rubella. Vaccines for these two diseases have been available for decades, but coverage has fallen during the COVID-19 pandemic and there are now millions of vulnerable children in many countries.
“There is actually an acceptability advantage to the patch because people prefer to be vaccinated with a patch rather than a needle,” Dr. Giersing said.
First guidelines published to reduce catheter-related infection rates
In additional health news, WHO on Thursday issued its first global guidelines for preventing bloodstream and other infections caused by the use of catheters inserted into small blood vessels while patients undergo minor procedures.
Improper practices in the routine use of catheters, for example how to insert and remove them in the arm, increase the risk of infection entering the system through the blood.
serious consequences
This can lead to serious conditions such as sepsis and difficult-to-treat complications in major organs such as the brain and kidneys, WHO said.
Soft tissue infections at the catheter insertion site may also occur.
People receiving treatment through catheters often have serious medical conditions or have low immunity, making them especially vulnerable to infections.
WHO estimated that the average mortality rate for patients with healthcare-associated sepsis from 2000 to 2018 was 24.4%, rising to 52.3% for patients treated in intensive care units.
“Infections associated with the provision of health care are a preventable tragedy and represent a serious threat to the quality and safety of health care,” said Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO Deputy Director-General.
“Implementing good practices and infection prevention and control recommendations is critical to saving lives and alleviating much avoidable suffering experienced by people around the world.”
The new guidance contains 14 best practice statements and 23 recommendations on key areas for health workers, including better education and training for health workers.
Former Guantanamo Bay detainee faces re-offending in Algeria: Rights expert
A former Guantanamo Bay detainee now facing terrorism charges in Algeria should have the case against him dismissed because he has no chance of a fair trial, independent rights experts said Thursday.
Saeed Bakhouche was transferred from a U.S. detention center to Algeria in April 2023 under guarantees that he would be treated humanely.
However, he was immediately arrested in Algeria. “I was detained in a state where no contact was possible… “They were threatened with interrogation and denied legal representation.”
at the dock
He said the human rights experts who report to the Human Rights Council, which is scheduled to go on trial later this month, are not paid and are completely independent of the government or organization.
Human rights experts, including Ben Saul, the special rapporteur on counter-terrorism, said in a statement that Bakuche spent more than 20 years in a notorious U.S. military prison opened after the September 11 attacks to house terrorism suspects. .
Experts warned that Mr. Bakuche “could not receive a fair and public trial in a national security case” in Algeria, noting that he had been tortured at Guantanamo Bay and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Among other concerns, rights experts highlighted Algeria’s “overly broad definition of terrorist crimes” and the threat that Mr. Bakouche would be detained in prison “with a documented risk of torture.”
