University of Queensland newsletter, the vaccine patch appeared to counteract new variants more effectively than the current SARs-CoV-2 vaccine delivered by injection. “The high-density microarray patch is a vaccine delivery platform that precisely delivers the vaccine into the layers of the skin which are rich in immune cells," Dr McMillan said. "We found that vaccination via a patch was approximately 11 times more effective at combatting the Omicron variant when compared with the same vaccine administered via a needle." He said the results extended further than just the Hexapro vaccine. “So far, every vaccine type we have tested through the patch, including subunit, DNA, inactivated virus and conjugate produces superior immune responses compared to traditional needle vaccination methods," he said.
Meanwhile, another member of the research team Dr. David Muller said currently-available vaccines may not be as effective because of the constantly emerging new variants of COVID-19, and this has left researchers at a crossroads. “This decreased effectiveness was highlighted by the Omicron variant, which contains over 30 mutations in the spike protein," Dr Muller said. “The large number of mutations have given the virus the ability to evade the immune responses generated by the current vaccines. “However, the patch technology has the potential to offer a new – and more effective – weapon in our arsenal, at a time where new variants are mutating at a rapid rate.