Transdermal Immunization: A Recent Tool for Immunization

Vaccination is one of the most powerful tools available in the ongoing battle against infectious agents. Virtually all recommended immunizations require parenteral administration, and many require a series of injections, therefore, new vaccine delivery methods, specifically alternatives to injections, are being sought. Transdermal immunization (TI) offers a new method for the delivery of vaccines, that relies on the application of antigen with adjuvant onto the outer layer of the skin and subsequent delivery to underlying Langerhans cells that serve as antigen-presenting cells. TI is a needle-free method of vaccine delivery that, will decrease the risk of needle-borne diseases, improve access to vaccination by eliminating the need for trained personnel and sterile equipment, and possibly provide a simple means for multivalent-or multiple boosting immunizations. This review presents various novel approaches for TI that is used alternative to parenteral immunizations.