A Belgian start-up has developed a more effective syringe for vaccination. This means that a dose five to ten times lower should be sufficient for the same result thanks to the vaccine's intradermal injection.
© Idevax
Founded at the end of 2020, the start-up Idevax specialises in the development, production and marketing of innovative medical devices for use in the field of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination. This Antwerp-based company now aims to revolutionise how vaccines are administered with a new type of syringe that has just been patented.
Vaccines are usually intramuscular or subcutaneous. However, according to studies already conducted on flu and hepatitis B vaccines, it appears that if the dose is administered via a shallow or superficial injection into the dermis, a much smaller amount would actually be needed to achieve the same vaccine coverage. Currently, it is very difficult to administer a vaccine directly, accurately and painlessly under the skin. This Belgian invention, however, could facilitate this type of injection in the future.
In concrete terms, the Belgian start-up's syringe has a small round plastic tip which contains a micro-needle. When it is pressed on the forearm, the skin is lifted slightly and the micro-needle can penetrate the skin as soon as pressure is applied and quickly inject a small dose of vaccine.
This new type of injection should be marketed very soon.
