How Vaccines Are Administered

The route of administration is the path by which a vaccine (or drug) is brought into contact with the body. This is a critical factor for success of the immunization. A substance must be transported from the site of entry to the part of the body where its action is desired to take place. Using the body's transport mechanisms for this purpose, however, is not trivial.

1. Intramuscular (IM) injection administers the vaccine into the muscle mass. Vaccines containing adjuvants should be injected IM to reduce adverse local effects.
2. Subcutaneous (SC) injection administers the vaccine into the subcutaneous layer above the muscle and below the skin.
3. Intradermal (ID) injection administers the vaccine in the topmost layer of the skin. BCG is the only vaccine with this route of administration. Intradermal injection of BCG vaccine reduces the risk of neurovascular injury.
4. Oral administration of vaccine makes immunization easier by eliminating the need for a needle and syringe.
5. Intranasal spray application of a vaccine offers a needle free approach through the nasal mucosa of the vaccinee.

I personally had only known of two routes of administering a vaccine, intramuscular (which is where they inject you through a muscle, most commonly on the upper arm) and the intranasal spray. Learning about the other routes of administration was interesting. A lot of people don't know the different options that some vaccines have in terms of administration, nor do they know which route is more effective. I believed that this is important information to know and that if there are other options available for getting a specific vaccine, parents should be informed of it.

(Information from Route Of Administration)