IN a move to reduce cost of storage of vaccines as well as raise the success rates of immunisation programmes in areas where the integrity of the cold chain process cannot be guaranteed, a team of researchers from the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, has discovered a new technology tagged “Thermostable HydRIS vaccine technology” for keeping vaccines stable without need for fridges or freezers.
The new technology was formulated by a team at the Jenner Institute, Oxford University, in the UK.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, one of the discoverers, Dr. Toritse Orubu – a Nigerian – told journalists in Lagos that the new technology would guarantee uninterrupted immunisation in Nigeria, ensure more access as well as keep vaccines stable without the need for refrigeration or freezing.
Orubu who is a Public Health Physician and Vaccinologist at the University, said with the new technology, immunisation officers would no longer have challenges transporting vaccines due to inadequate cold chains or freezers because the technology allows for easy transportation.
“Vaccines can easily be transported even in a Ghana-must-go bag without fear of losing its potency. It will help reduce the cost of preserving vaccines in cold chain system. It will advance immunisation even in rural areas and millions would be reached even in the absence of electricity,” he commented.
He said with the technology, vaccines would always be stable irrespective of the temperature. “Sugar is used to formulate the vaccines and the sugar captures the temperature of the vaccines at every given time.”
Orubu who recently obtained a PhD in malaria vaccine research and development at the Jenner Institute added that the formulation of the new vaccine was to ensure that vaccines get to the people that need it at all times.
Getting needed vaccines
“Many Nigerians are disabled today because they were not able to get the vaccines when they actually needed them and this is what the new formulation is out to achieve,” he added
Apart from ensuring continuous immunisation, it would also reduce the 14 per cent cost of vaccines that goes storage and help in the fight against vaccine preventable child killer diseases. “We need this technology for all existing vaccines that work for adults and children.”
Orubu, is currently in the country, conducting a pilot study in the country’s settings, is discussing with the Federal Ministry of Health towards establishing partnership with the University of Oxford on ownership of the technology.
“We need to be at the forefront of research and its ownership. We have the money. We have the resources. Government needs to be interested and create platform for these. We need to start developing the attitude of ownership, rather than just going to buy,” he added.
Demonstrating the technology, he hinted that the HydRIS Vaccine is formulated in glass-forming sugars and is dispensed onto the membrane. “After drying, ultra-thin, web-like sugar glass now coats the individual fibres of the inert support membrane.
Source: Vanguard
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