Hundreds needed to take part in Covid vaccine trial
HUNDREDS of volunteers from Greater Manchester are being urged to sign up to a coronavirus vaccine trial.
Around 500 people from the region are needed to take part in the clinical study, based in Stockport.
Researchers are keen for people living in Stockport, East Cheshire and parts of south east Manchester to sign up.
They will help test the ‘safety and effectiveness’ of a vaccine being developed by US biotechnology company Novavax.
The trial is in Phase 3, meaning thousands of people will be tested.
It’s a much larger population than the one tested during Phase 1 and 2.
It’s the second time a Covid-19 vaccine has entered Phase 3 in the UK.
There are currently hundreds of potential coronavirus vaccines being tested around the world.
If any of the vaccines are successful in clinical studies, they could be available to priority groups such as frontline health workers in the UK next year.
The Novavax trial will be carried out in the community, in cooperation with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Clinical Research Network.
Around 9,000 volunteers are needed to take part in the trials nationally, including in Lancashire, the Midlands, London, Glasgow and Belfast.
Researchers are urging people to sign up to The Registry, a database of people who are willing to take part in clinical studies.
They are particularly seeking more volunteers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds as well as those with underlying health conditions and the over 65s.
In Greater Manchester, 11,955 have already joined The Registry.
Professor Andrew Ustianowski, NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) national specialty lead for Infection and NIHR CRN Greater Manchester Deputy Clinical Director, said: “This launch represents a landmark in the fight against COVID-19 and our Greater Manchester research community is proud to be contributing to this important vaccine study.
“We are really grateful to the thousands of people who have signed up to the vaccine registry so far.
“It is important we keep this up and that more people from across our range of Greater Manchester communities join the registry because we are going to need large numbers of volunteers to get involved in testing the vaccines.
“We need a really good mix of people of different ages and ethnicities, and people with and without existing health problems.
This will help identify vaccines that work for everyone.”
Dr David Baxter, principal investigator for the trial at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: “COVID-19 has had a huge impact on our lives and we have seen many, many deaths with serious long-term illnesses in survivors.
“An effective and safe vaccine promises a more long lasting solution and we are really pleased to be part of this national study of Novavax.
“The vaccine has successfully passed phases I and II and this phase III study well answer the questions about its safety and effectiveness for all of us.
“It is vital we carry out this vaccine trial and we’re honoured to be involved.”