Take part in trials of Covid vaccines
UNIVERSITY STUDY INVESTIGATES MIXING DIFFERENT JABS
PEOPLE who have recently had their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination are being invited to join a trial of two new approved vaccines.
As part of a study into alternating first and second doses, experts from the University of Nottingham are looking for people who have had their first jab in the past 8-12 weeks to take part in trials of two new vaccines.
The Com-cov study was initially launched in February to investigate alternating dose soft he Oxford vaccine and thePfiz er vaccine.
The researchers have today announced an extension to the programme to include the Moderna and Novavax vaccines.
The trial is led by the University of Oxford, run by the National Immunisation Schedule Evaluation Consortium (NISEC), and backed with funding from the Vaccines Task Force and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
As one of the trial sites the University of Nottingham wants to recruit 100 people aged 50 and over, who have had their first dose, to receive their second vaccine at the Cripps Health Centre on University Park in Nottingham on April 26 or 27.
To be eligible, they must have received their first Covid-19 vaccine between February 1 and March 1 (if they attend on April 26), or February 2 and March 2 (if they attend on April 27).
The volunteers, who will have received either the Oxford-astrazeneca or Pfizer vaccines, will be randomly allocated to receive either the same vaccine for their second dose or a dose of the Moderna or Novavax jabs.
Working at eight UK sites, researchers will study reactogenicity (any adverse reactions) and the immune system responses to these new vaccine combinations. The project is a “non-inferiority” study and will compare the immune system responses to the gold-standard responses from previous clinical trials.
If the study shows promising results, regulators would formally assess the safety and efficacy of any new vaccination regimen before it is introduced.
Professor David Turner, honorary consultant in clinical microbiology at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. is principal investigator.
He said: “With new vaccines continuing to be approved all the time, if we show the immune response to mixed vaccine schedules is as effective as with the two doses of the same vaccine, then this could lead to more people being able to have their complete vaccination course more quickly. It will also reduce the risk of supply issues with each vaccination.” Matthew Snape, associate professor in paediatrics and vaccinology at the University of Oxford, and chief investigator, said: “The focus of both this and the original Comcov study is to explore whether the multiple Covid-19 vaccines that are available can be used more flexibly, with different vaccines being used for the first and second dose. If we can show that these mixed schedules generate an immune response that is as good as the standard schedules, and without a significant increase in the vaccine reactions, this will potentially allow more people to complete their Covid-19 immunisation course more rapidly.”
This could lead to more people being able to have their complete vaccination course more quickly David Turner