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For the first recorded time, researchers have been able to use a live vaccine delivery system that is dry as opposed to a liquid injection – never before has this method been deemed powerful enough to get the vaccination process going. What are the implications?

Poorer countries have problems with vaccinations due to the fact that they generally have to be kept refrigerated, thus getting viable vaccines into these areas in a dry format is a great solution. While this process is still early on in the research period it is still an exciting prospect – the process is also cheaper than having to use a needle and eliminates concerns about the proper disposal of used hypodermic needles.

Three of the world’s largest health enemies are HIV, TB, and Malaria, and these diseases are most common in poorer areas. This means that while the search for vaccinations looks promising, the prospect of getting live vaccines into locations that need them most remains a challenge – a lack of proper refrigeration could leave the vaccines no longer viable by the time of use.

The research team used tiny needles made of sugar as an entry system – these needles would dissolve upon entering the skin and introducing the dry vaccine. The dry vaccine is in the shape of a tiny disc, and stays live even at normal room temperature.

This study has shown that it is possible to maintain a live vaccine without refrigeration – thus when HIV and other much needed vaccines are finally ready, there may also be a process in hand to get such vaccines to the remotest parts of even the poorest underdeveloped nations.

In the meantime, while those vaccines are still being developed this technology will have other applications in the medical field – vaccinating infants would certainly be easier with this technique. It may also have applications in the field of autoimmune disease and chronic conditions like diabetes.

Researchers have found that cash incentives from governments are able to alter community behavior, and Mexico has already seen an improvement in pediatric care due to such a program. Other examples of such programs across the world include an increase in HIV testing in Malawi after an incentive was offered, as well as a reduction in the number of sexually transmitted diseases in Tanzania after a similar program was instituted.

Because of this, researchers have looked into the possibility of reducing the high-risk activities of male sex workers in Mexico, as well as the practices of homosexual men in the country, and while the research revealed that few would be willing to make lifestyle changes, the majority have a set price for which they would be willing to improve the safety of their practices.

The idea is that slowing the spread of HIV saves the nation both lives and money, thus the cost of such incentives is more than offset by the benefits of such a program. It is better for the government to spend money on stopping the spread of disease in the first place than on treating those who are contracting it but can’t afford treatment.

About a quarter of the men in these high-risk categories (sex workers and homosexuals) have HIV, and treatment costs the government $1,000s per year for each individual – so how much would prevention incentives cost?

Of the nearly 2,000 gay men interviewed, over 75% said they would attend talks about prevention on a monthly basis, get tested frequently for sexually transmitted diseases, and vow to stay free of sexually transmitted diseases for a kickback of just $288 per year, and men who worked in the sex industry agreed to the same thing for only $156 per year – this represents an immense savings over treatment costs, not to mention the many lives the program could potentially save.