But no flu jabs at the tattoo parlour

German scientists claim that tattooing could be the best way to deliver vaccines into the body. In tests undertaken with mice, tattooing was much more effective in provoking a response from the immune system.

Researchers say that the rapidly vibrating tattoo needle could be a useful way of delivering vaccines under the skin instead of insoluble ink. In studies with mice, tattooing a vaccine produced 16 times more antibodies than a simple injection into muscle tissue.

Dr Martin Mueller, one of the researchers behind this work, says that the greater damage to the body caused by the tattoo needle may explain the better immune response. The scientists say that the tattoo needles would never be suitable for preventative vaccines, such as measles, in children as the pain would be too great. But there may well be a role for the technique in the routine vaccination of animals.

Hmm for a moment I had an image of people getting BCG tattooed on their fingers instead of ACAB. Ah well....