6 months ago
COLUMBUS, Ohio (MEDISOURCE/WUSA) -- Few will most likely dispute, ear infections make kids and parents miserable!
For Cammy Barber, even when she's well, she doesn't like getting her ears checked.
Cammy is only 9-months-old and has already had 8 ear infections. Her mom, Coleen Barber, will tell you treating them isn't always easy.
"Even the medicine alone, they don't like the flavor of it, at this age, it's hard to sneak it into anything," says Barber.
So scientists at Nationwide Children's Hospital are working on an alternative vaccine that would involve a single drop liquid. One that's not injected or even swallowed, but simply rubbed onto the outside of the ear.
The vaccine would be to stop ear infections before they ever start.
Lauren Bakaletz, PhD, with the Nationwide Children's Hospital explains, "They were the best results I've seen in my career, which is saying a lot."
Dr. Bakaletz is the researcher that developed the vaccine. She explains that the vaccine works by activating cells just under the surface of the skin, called dendritic cells.
When the liquid touches the skin, it touches off a response throughout the body.
Dr. Bakaletz explains, "These cells deliver it to the lymphoid organs where it can generate an immune response. So, really harnessing a power that's there all the time, but you're doing it in a way that's now directed towards a specific disease."
Dr. Bakaletz, who is also with the Ohio State University, says work still needs to be done before the vaccine is tested on kids, but someday it could help babies like Cammy live more carefree and pain-free.
Other vaccines that are injected or inhaled are also in the works. Right now, ear infections are often treated with antibiotics.
However, more and more pediatricians are urging a wait and see approach, because 8 out of 10 cases clear up on their own.
To help a child feel better, doctors often suggest ear drops or over the counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
Finally, a follow up appointment is recommended to make sure there isn't fluid building up in the ears that can affect a child's hearing.
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