Vaccination By Jet Injection

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30289, 15 November 1963, Page 14

Vaccination By Jet Injection

(Neu) Zeal'ana Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Nov. 14. An American anaesthetist brought to New Zealand today a small “gun” which should eliminate the pathological fear of hypodermic injections to which even strong men confess. The gun fires a fine spray of vaccine through the skin of a patient’s arm at 700 miles an hour. It is painless and quick. Dr. R. A. Hingson, professor of anaesthesia at the

Western Reserve University Medical School, Cleveland, Ohio, demonstrated the gun when he arrived in Auckland. He said the l|lb gun he showed had a capacity of 100 doses. The electrically-pow-ered model could store a million doses. “With 20 such guns we could immunise everyone in New Zealand in one week,” said Dr. Hingson. “It takes 20 minutes to prepare a needle and syringe for an injection. The gun

you can prepare in twotenths of a second.”

“Jet injection” has simplified the work of Dr. Hingson and Mrs Hingson, a dietitian, when as part, of the voluntary medical teams of “Operation Brother’s Brother” they have moved into epidemic-stricken areas. "In a Liberian bouse during a smallpox epidemic we immunised 622 people in 20 minutes." said Dr. Hingson. "The mothers all carried babies on their backs, so we got two for the price of one.”