Potential of microneedle systems for COVID-19 vaccination: current trends and challenges

To prevent the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and aid the restoration to pre-pandemic normality, a global mass vaccination is urgently needed. Inducing herd immunity through mass vaccination has proven to be a highly effective strategy for preventing the spread of many infectious diseases, which protect the most vulnerable population groups that are unable to develop immunity, such as people with immunodeficiencies or weakened immune systems due to underlying medical or debilitating conditions. To have a global outreach, the maintenance of the vaccine potency, transportation, needle waste generation becomes a major issue. Moreover, needle phobia and vaccine hesitancy acts as a hurdle for successful mass vaccination. The use of dissolvable microneedles for the COVID-19 vaccination could act as a major paradigm shift in attaining the desired goal to vaccinate billions in the shortest time possible. In addressing these points, we discuss the potential of the use of dissolvable microneedles for COVID-19 vaccination based on the current literature.