Photo: Peter/Flickr CC
Jabs and mists are less effective at sparking immune system reactions, according to these findings:
New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) shows that giving a vaccine through a scratch on the skin, a technique called scarification, results in a better immune response when compared to injecting the vaccine into the body, and that the amount of vaccine needed to generate the immune response through scarification is 100 times less. Nearly two centuries ago, the first vaccinations against smallpox were given via scarification. Today, virtually all modern vaccines are delivered by hypodermic needle and syringe.