PEOPLE who took part in Covid-19 vaccine trials, such as the Novavax trial in Bradford, will be offered top-up jabs, if eligible.

Those who took part in trials don’t have their certification recognised in other countries, hampering people’s freedoms.

Now the Government has decided to give people who took part in trials, whose vaccine isn’t yet approved for deployment, the chance to get two doses of an approved vaccine, on the advice of JCVI experts.

This will open up international travel and come as relief to the many in Bradford who have been left in limbo after taking part in the Novavax trial.

Novavax participants will be first to get the offer and can get the Pfizer/BioNTech jab with an eight week gap between doses.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said: “Vaccine trials have been absolutely integral to our response to the virus.

The measures we have taken will allow UK vaccine trial participants to travel freely overseas once they have had the additional vaccinations.

“Those volunteers now have the flexibility to make a decision for themselves.

“We should be very clear that the results from these trials benefit the whole world, and it has to be said that if more countries around the world had reciprocated by allowing UK volunteers to enjoy fully vaccinated status for overseas travel, these measures would not have been necessary.

“As a separate issue, those in trials who are eligible for boosters should receive the booster dose in order to ensure the highest possible protection over winter.”

Letters will be sent out to clinical trial participants shortly, outlining further details and next steps.

Participants will be contacted by the trial team, who can respond to any questions they may have, and should not contact their local NHS or GP. Vaccinations will most likely take place at hospital hubs.

Booster jabs for those eligible will be offered no earlier than six months after the individual’s second dose.

Professor Paul Heath, Principle Investigator of the Novavax clinical trial, said: "I very much welcome this development on behalf of the more than 15,000 participants in the Novavax trial and my colleagues in the 35 UK trial sites.

"For too long the participants have been disadvantaged in terms of international travel because this vaccine is not yet approved for deployment - but trial participants now have the flexibility to receive booster doses, or additional doses for travel purposes, if they wish to."

The Vaccine Taskforce and the MHRA are working with the vaccine companies to help ensure their Covid-19 vaccines are authorised as quickly as possible, if they meet the high standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

The decision to license a vaccine is made by the MHRA, who must carefully, independently and scientifically review the data to ascertain how it protects people from Covid-19 and the level of protection it provides.