Measles Aerosol Vaccine Project

Aerosol delivery of measles vaccine to the respiratory mucosa, mimicking the natural route of transmission for measles virus, is the most promising non-injectable method of measles vaccination studied so far. A phase II/III study is underway in India to confirm that its efficacy is equivalent to that of existing routes of administration. Studies suggest aerosolized measles vaccine appears to be equally or more immunogenic than subcutaneous vaccine in children 9 months and older. Aerosol delivery devices are available or being developed, and could be used by lay people with limited training, and would avoid issues of injection safety. Measles vaccine is not licensed for respiratory administration. Administration of the current measles vaccine via the respiratory route is being comprehensively studied to achieve licensure for international use under the auspices of the WHO's Measles Aerosol Project. The most suitable aerosol administration device for use in low resource environments is being evaluated in such studies.