Soon, a jab to treat hay fever

The 'exciting' vaccine, which is in development, could help control symptoms of grass pollen hay fever with injections over the course of a few months, scientists claim.

The prototype vaccine is also designed to tackle grass pollen hay fever, also known as summer hay fever, 'The Telegraph' reported.

The jab uses the same basic science as an existing vaccine which requires a course of injections lasting several years and benefits only around 1,000 people a year.

However, the new vaccine has potential to be far cheaper and convenient after immunologists worked out that injecting closer to the skin's surface was far more effective than the current method.

 

"This new vaccine is potentially applicable to far larger numbers than the existing one," said Dr Stephen Till, from King's College London.

Up to one in eight people experience moderate or severe hay fever symptoms, but the number who benefit from vaccination is "just a drop in the ocean," Till said.

The jabs contain a substance that causes the reaction