An influenza vaccine delivered through the skin by a
dissolving microneedle patch has generated immune
responses that are comparable with those triggered
by intramuscular injection. Moreover, the delivery
system conferred enhanced clearance of the virus in
mice challenged with a lethal dose of influenza.
Using a moulding process, Sullivan and colleagues
fabricated the microneedle patch from
polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) — a water-soluble
polymer widely used in medicine — that
encapsulated a dried form of an inactivated influenza
vaccine. When the patch is applied to skin the
microneedles (650 μm in length) penetrate across
the epidermis and dissolve within minutes to release
at least 80% of the vaccine load. An added advantage
of using this delivery method is that the depth of penetration is optimized
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