Figure 5.

Antibody responses in mice. (a) Percent of BALB/C mice with serum antibody response ≥10 mIU/mL anti‐HBs at 2–8 weeks after vaccination using bulk adjuvant‐free HBsAg vaccine. Vaccine was administered using dissolvable microneedle patches (dMNP) and coated microneedle patches (cMNP), as well as intramuscular (IM) injections of bulk, adjuvant‐free HBsAg vaccine, IM reconstituted dMNPs (IM (dMNP) and IM reconstituted cMNPs (IM (cMNP)). In the latter two groups, dMNPs and cMNPs were dissolved in 270 µL and 300 µL of saline for injection, respectively (i.e., reconstituted) and the eluted vaccine was injected IM. Mice were vaccinated at week 0 and again at week 3. (n = eight mice per group). (b) Median anti‐HBs titers. Dotted line indicates the seroprotective level in humans (≥10 mIU/mL anti‐HBs). Dashed line indicates the detection limit of the anti‐HBs assay (≥2 mIU/mL anti‐HBs), that is, all points below that line were below detection limit. (c) Vaccination schedule for all mouse groups. Upper arrows indicated vaccination times. Lower arrows indicate times when blood was sampled