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Jet injector effective and efficient for delivering flu vaccine
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BALTMORE — The Med-Jet H4, a needle-free device for delivering seasonal influenza vaccine, is attractive to patients, is rapidly learned by nurses and generates similar responses to all vaccine strains as a traditional intramuscular injection, according to study data presented at the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases’ Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research.
“Jet injectors deliver vaccines intramuscularly through a focused pressure stream of liquids, without a needle at all, which has been supported by several public health authorities for several reasons,” Janna R. Shapiro, MS, a PhD Student at McGill University, said during a presentation during the conference. “First, it allows for vaccines to be given to people with needle phobia. Second, it allows for quick delivery of vaccines in pandemic settings. And finally, it mitigates the public health impact of needle-stick injuries and syringe use.”
To determine the efficiency and effectiveness of using a jet injector to deliver influenza vaccine, Shapiro and colleagues randomly assigned 80 patients in a 2:1:1 ratio to receive a commercial trivalent vaccine by Med-Jet H4 (Medical International Technologies) or by needle injection from a single-dose or multidose vial, according to the study.
According to Shapiro, researchers learned from the start that, overall, participants readily accepted vaccination with the Med-Jet despite a greater frequency of transient local reactions. She said many participants hoped to be randomly assigned to the Med-Jet group. During the study, the researchers reported that participants in the Med-Jet group experienced greater swelling and redness, but not greater pain, within 30 minutes of vaccination but found that the rates of local and systemic reactions were similar by the evening of vaccination day.
According to the study, vaccine administration took longer with Med-Jet, primarily during the preparation phase. However, Shapiro indicated that after an adjustment period, Med-Jet may be the faster option, especially with the addition of prefilled doses.
Results of the study indicated that vaccination using the Med-Jet was as protective as traditional vaccination using a needle.
“We know that routine needle use in vaccination results in noncompliance and poses a risk to both patients and health care workers and we believe that our evidence suggests that use of the Med-Jet for seasonal influenza vaccination might increase vaccine uptake while decreasing needle-stick injuries and transmission of blood-borne diseases,” Shapiro concluded.
“In fact, the use of the Med-Jet has been permitted for Quebec’s seasonal influenza campaigns next year and [Medical International Technologies] Canada is currently in discussion to permit use of this technology in the rest of Canada.” – by Caitlyn Stulpin
Reference:
Shapiro J, et al. Abstract OA3-4. Presented at: NFID Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research; April. 3-5, 2019; Baltimore.
Disclosures: Shapiro reports no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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William Schaffner, MD
One of the ways that investigators have been trying to improve the influenza vaccine is by enhancing its delivery. The key question is: How can we take the vaccines and deliver them more effectively? Well, what do we know? One of the things that is noted is that many people are averse to getting a needle stuck in their arm — I do not particularly like that myself — and that keeps some people from getting vaccinated. We are also looking at how to vaccinate a large number of people. One thing that addresses both of those concerns are jet injectors — they do not give the scare of a needle, and once the nurses become efficient, it will be just as fast as needle injection. These jet injectors are in use, and the question is, do they work well? Well, this study shows that not only were the antibody studies comparable, but so were the cell-mediated immune responses, which answered a lingering question about these devices and their uses. This reminds us that there are other investigators trying to make the delivery of vaccines more efficient and easier.
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