Closely held PharmaJet announced that its WHO-prequalified Tropis ID Needle-free Injection System will be used to deliver approximately 1.4 million doses of fractional inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV), in partnership with African Field Epidemiology Network, to children younger than five during upcoming polio immunization campaigns in Nigeria.
The large-scale use of Tropis needle-free delivery in Sokoto follows an extensive randomized controlled trial study of Tropis-delivered fIPV in routine immunization conducted with PATH, Jhpiego, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and Sydani. The study, conducted in Nigeria and published in the peer-reviewed journal Vaccines, highlighted that, when compared to the standard of care (full dose delivered with needles), Tropis delivery resulted in:
- 11.2% higher coverage of the second IPV dose (IPV2)
- Up to 47% reduction in total immunization cost
- 97% preference among healthcare workers
- Reduced administration time
In addition, Tropis improves vaccine access in austere, resource-limited settings where non-traditional healthcare workers can use a house-to-house strategy to optimize coverage.
In a statement, Dr. Wouter Latour, CEO of PharmaJet, commented, “PharmaJet has supported polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan since 2018, and we are encouraged to see expanded adoption in Afghanistan and now Nigeria. Needle-free delivery improves operational efficiency, reduces costs and enhances acceptability. With more than 20 million Tropis ID injections supplied globally, we are making important contributions to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and accelerating progress towards eradication.”
