Elsevier

Vaccine

Volume 26, Issue 26, 19 June 2008, Pages 3197-3208
Vaccine

Review
Intradermal vaccine delivery: Will new delivery systems transform vaccine administration?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.03.095Get rights and content

Abstract

There has been a recent resurgence of interest in intradermal vaccine delivery. The physiological advantages of intradermal vaccine delivery have been known for some time, but the difficulties associated with performing an intradermal injection have historically limited its use. New delivery systems currently in development facilitate convenient intradermal vaccination, unlocking the potential advantages of this delivery route, and potentially transforming vaccine delivery.

Section snippets

History of intradermal vaccination

The discovery of the principles of vaccination is often described as one of the most important developments in public health. The practice of inoculating small amounts of material from sick patients, such as powdered smallpox scabs or pus, into the nose or skin of healthy individuals to prevent disease was widespread across parts of Africa, Asia and the Ottoman empire, before inoculation into the skin – variolation – was introduced to Europe in 1721. Inoculated patients would generally develop

Current situation and future needs of innovative vaccine delivery systems

An ideal vaccine is safe, cost-effective, and efficient after a single dose [34]. The way in which a vaccine is delivered can have considerable bearing on these factors through its influence on the efficiency of the procedure, the dose required, compliance, and safety. For vaccination to succeed holistically in contributing to public health, vaccine delivery systems must allow efficient delivery without compromising product stability during storage and transport and without negatively

Skin anatomy

An increasing understanding of skin physiology means that this organ is now recognized as a potentially excellent site for vaccination. It is easily accessible and has both cellular and humoral immune system components. The skin is comprised of three primary layers from outside to inside: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis (Fig. 1). Vaccine delivery into these layers is known, respectively as transdermal, intradermal and subcutaneous vaccination.

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin

Clinical experience, techniques and devices for intradermal vaccination

Considerable clinical research has been conducted to compare the intradermal route with other routes of vaccine delivery (Table 2) and into new techniques for intradermal delivery to eliminate some of the problems associated with the methods currently available. This section will describe the available techniques, as well as those in clinical research or earlier development.

Conclusions

As recognition of the potential of the dermis to generate powerful immune responses has grown, pressure has increased to develop intradermal delivery methods to take full advantage of this ideal vaccination site, whilst overcoming the drawbacks of traditional intradermal injection methods. Indeed, although numerous clinical studies have confirmed the comparable or superior immunogenicity of this route compared with standard intramuscular or subcutaneous routes, the difficulty of correctly

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