Half of vaccines are binned – this plant could change that

Prof Saul Faust, the director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility in Southampton, said it gave “equivalent” immune responses to the conventional vaccine as well as being “safe and well tolerated” in the early stage studies.

Faust added: “This obviously has potential to remove cold chain dependence, reduce wastage and improve access.”

A larger trial involving 160 people is already due to start in the coming months.

This would be the final stage of research as the original vaccine is already approved and licensed so there is no requirement to perform large-stage trials needed for a novel vaccine.

The studies are being done to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of a vaccine that survives at 30C and 75% relative humidity.

But the research team say separate data shows the components of their vaccine also survive cycling between temperatures of -20C and +40C. That could mean the vaccine being viable after transport in a cold aircraft hold and then in the back of a truck in the heat.

There is not one single reason vaccines are wasted and disposed of, but the WHO estimates this is the fate of half of all vaccines globally. This can include damage in transport, passing the expiration date, and unused doses from multi-dose vials, but a major factor are failures in the cold chain.