A NEW ground-breaking Covid-19 vaccine trial is set to get underway soon at Bradford Royal Infirmary to find a new vaccine which will be effective against future variants.
The research team at the National Institute for Health Patient Recruitment Centre Bradford will take part in the study to find a new vaccine, being developed by pharmaceuticals giant, Moderna.
PRC Bradford, one of five PRCs across the UK - and the only one in Yorkshire - to be trialling the vaccine, and director Professor Dinesh Saralaya will lead the upcoming trial.
He said: “We are very excited our PRC has been chosen to take part in this important study to find a vaccine that is not only effective against the Omicron variant, which we know is a very contagious and fast-spreading variant of COVID-19, but which will also be effective against other new variants which may develop.
“We know having access to effective vaccines is the best way to protect ourselves against this virus which sadly has claimed so many lives and affected so many people the world over. Effective vaccines are the only way out of this pandemic.
“I am proud our team of Bradford researchers are once again at the forefront of such an important clinical trial and the people of Bradford can also be proud at being involved in the on-going battle against Covid-19.”
Around 120 volunteers are being asked to take part in the trial getting underway this month in two age groups - under and over 65s, and all should have no underlying health conditions, fully vaccinated, and should have had their booster jab in October 2020 or earlier.
“We are hoping to recruit a good cross section of trial participants from all backgrounds,” added Prof Saralaya.
“If we are to save lives in the future, it’s imperative that our research includes as diverse a cross-section of our community as possible because the trials must be representative of the population that we serve.
”We know that COVID-19 affects those from a BAME community more seriously and if we are to continue to find effective vaccines, these must be tested on that population so that we know it creates the right antibodies to fight the disease.”
To sign up, people are urged to email prc.bradford@bthft.nhs.uk
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