How, where and when are we going to use microarray patches to deliver measles and rubella vaccines? (16th TechNet Conference)

Measles and rubella vaccines are safe and effective, however, achieving equitable coverage, particularly for the second dose of measles containing vaccine (MCV2) is well below the 95% target of immunized children. Consequently, there were over 140,000 deaths globally, in 2018. Novel and improved vaccine delivery platforms such as microarray patches (MAPs) are needed to address the increasing challenge of achieving and sustaining effective vaccination of MRVs, to achieve the eradication of measles and rubella, a goal set by the WHO and partners. MAPs offer competitive advantages over needle and syringe (NS) vaccine delivery. They have a potential to be more thermostable and freeze resistant, do not require reconstitution resulting in an improved safety profile, they are easier to use, do not contain sharps, and are more acceptable by caregivers and vaccinees. Measles and rubella MAPs (MR-MAPs) will soon enter phase one clinical trials and although early in development, critical actions are needed to prepare the pathway for late stage product development and mitigate against delays in scale up. The lack of a clear demand forecast for MR-MAP has been identified as significant bottleneck in the investment of this urgently needed innovative vaccine. In order to address this, the WHO is working with public health stakeholders at the country level to assess how MR-MAPs will be used, the critical product attributes that are required for use to achieve impact, and the potential demand for such products.