Thousands sign up for vaccine research

RESIDENTS ANSWER RESEARCHERS’ CALL

THOUSANDS of people across the county have put themselves forward to take part in vital research to find a vaccine for the coronavirus.

A total of 3,885 individuals have answered the call from researchers as part of a UKwide effort to prevent the further spread of the virus.

Residents in the city and county have joined more than 230,000 people from across the country in signing up to the new NHS Covid-19 vaccine registry. The research is being run by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the government agency which funds research into health and care and is the largest national clinical research funder in Europe. Professor David Rowbotham, clinical director for the NIHR Clinical Research Network in the East Midlands, expressed his gratitude to those signing up to the study.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone in Leicestershire and Rutland who has signed up to take part in Covid-19 vaccine research,” he said.

“These research studies are a vital part of our response to the pandemic, and we are proud that so many people across the East Midlands are putting themselves forward as volunteers.”

The NIHR is working with the NHS and others to deliver research that will help identify vaccines to protect against coronavirus.

There are a number of new vaccine trials for Covid-19 expected to launch in the coming weeks, adding to those already under way across the UK.

The registry allows people to indicate their interest in participating in essential research to test vaccines which are being developed to tackle the virus.

Once a suitable study becomes available, people who have signed up to the NIHR research will be contacted by researchers to invite them to take part. The latest statistics from the NHS Covid-19 research registry breaks down the numbers as follows: Blaby 440; Charnwood 700; Harborough 455; Hinckley and Bosworth 465; Leicester: 810; Melton 195; North West Leicestershire 390; Oadby and Wigston 215 and Rutland 215*.

Prof Rowbotham said the importance of the research, and the help of the public, cannot be underestimated.

“It’s important that we involve people from all areas and backgrounds in this research, so I would urge everyone to sign up to the NHS Covid-19 vaccine registry,” he said. “Everyone involved in coronavirus research is making an enormous contribution and we are proud that our region is at the very heart of the research response to the disease.”

To find out how to sign up, or for more information, visit the coronavirus research section of the NHS website. nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ * Figures rounded to nearest five.