A first-of-its-kind smart vaccine is being developed by Swansea University

Researchers at Swansea University are designing a first-of-its-kind, smart vaccine system that will deliver the COVID-19 vaccine and assess its effectiveness by tracking the patient’s associated reaction.

The research, which is being carried out by the Institute for Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies, will create the vaccine through microneedles to create a smart patch. By observing biomarkers in the skin, the device will concurrently measure a patient’s inflammatory response to the vaccination.

The Smart Vaccine Devices for Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccination project will be led by researchers with experience in using microneedle arrays for transdermal therapeutic drug delivery and diagnostic applications.

The project aims to create a smart vaccine delivery prototype that can transdermally deliver the COVID-19 vaccine and control biomarkers in the skin compartment without being invasive.

Dr Sanjiv Sharma, project leader from Swansea University, stated: “Measuring vaccine efficacy is extremely important as it indicates the protective effects of vaccination on an individual via the level of reduction of infection risk in a vaccinated person relative to that of a susceptible, unvaccinated individual. This measure of vaccination effectiveness will address an unmet clinical need and would provide an innovative approach to vaccine development. Skin vaccination using MNs has been described as a superior immunization approach due to its potential to overcome immune tolerance observed in pregnancy, and lower vaccination costs through antigen dose sparing which is especially relevant in underserved countries.”