New MHRA research puts needle-free Strep A vaccine within reach
What was announced
Pioneering study by MHRA scientists advances innovative approach to vaccination and promise of vaccine against Strep A.
Key points, in the publisher's words
- New research by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in partnership with the GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health, has moved a vaccine against the highly contagious group A streptococcus bacterium (Strep A) a step closer to reality.
- Published this month (October 2026), the paper, published in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics , also shows promise for ‘needle-free’ vaccines which could be administered in the nose or under the tongue.
- There is currently no licensed vaccine for Strep A, despite it causing hundreds of millions of infections globally. Although most Strep infections are mild, serious complications can lead to long-term disability or death, particularly in low-and middle-income countries where the burden of the disease remains high.
Figures in this announcement
Each line is quoted from the original. Figures are as the publisher stated them on the day.
- “It is estimated that there are over 600 million Strep A infections worldwide each year with associated complications responsible for over 500,000 deaths.”
Who and where
UK bodies of power
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (executive agency) · more news
- Department of Health and Social Care (UK government department) · more news
Where this sits in the 10 levels of power
Topics, as GOV.UK files them: Vaccine development.
Receipt
- Original: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-mhra-researchputs-needle-free-strep-a-vaccinewithin-reach
- Published 2026-10-27 12:32:41 UTC
- Read by this site 2026-10-27 12:45:19 UTC from GOV.UK
- Saved copy: receipt 3121, with its SHA-256 fingerprint
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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