Micropatchs

Patient care tool

Improve access to vaccination through technology that requires no needles or cold chain

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The project

In brief

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects young children. It can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia, encephalitis or blindness, and continues to threaten the lives of thousands of children every year.

In 2024, nearly 95,000 people died of measles worldwide, the majority of whom were children under the age of five.

Despite the existence of an effective vaccine, vaccination coverage remains insufficient in many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Vaccination campaigns are complex to organise in these regions, notably due to the need for qualified staff, waste management issues linked, amongst other things, to the use of needles and syringes, and constraints related to the cold chain.

To overcome these obstacles, a promising innovation developed by industry and research partners has caught MSF’s interest: vaccine micro-patches (Microarray Patches – MAPs).

With marketing authorisation currently expected by 2030, the MSF Foundation is already engaged in operational research to prepare for the introduction of this technology in humanitarian contexts and to protect more children against measles.

Status of the project

Identification of the need

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects young children. It presents with fever and a rash and can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia, encephalitis or blindness.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccination coverage of at least 95% is required to interrupt transmission of the virus and prevent outbreaks. Whilst measles has virtually disappeared from high-income countries thanks to high vaccination coverage, it continues to cause outbreaks in many resource-limited countries. These disparities are due to a combination of structural factors, including fragile health systems, insufficient vaccination coverage and difficulties in rapidly detecting and containing outbreaks.

In conflict zones, remote areas or among displaced populations, organising a vaccination campaign remains a complex operation. It requires qualified medical staff, specific equipment and the maintenance of an unbroken cold chain. These logistical constraints sometimes limit the scope and speed of interventions, leaving many children without vaccine protection.

The MSF Foundation’s Response

To help increase vaccination coverage, MSF and the MSF Foundation are closely monitoring the development of vaccine micro-patches, particularly for the measles-rubella vaccine, for which several candidates are currently in clinical trials.

Vaccine micro-patches (Microarray Patches – MAPs) are a promising solution that could eventually enable vaccines to be administered transdermally. This technology, currently being developed by several industrial players, offers several major advantages for resource-limited settings: simple and well-accepted administration, reduced risks of contamination and waste, as well as improved thermal stability, reducing reliance on the cold chain.

As part of a WHO call for projects, the MSF Foundation is supporting Epicentre in a study aimed at analysing the potential for using these patches.

This pre-implementation study is taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scheduled for 2026 and running for 18 months, its aim is to assess the practical conditions for rolling out a micro-patch vaccination campaign, with a view to transforming this innovation into an operational solution as soon as the patches are brought to market, currently anticipated by 2030.

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In detail

Who's involved?

Our partners

OMS (WHO)

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