Volunteers in Portsmouth needed for latest Covid-19 vaccine booster study

Residents will have the opportunity to take part in research, via the Portsmouth Research Hub, which will explore whether a single booster injection safely creates a broad immune response against the different Covid-19 variants.

The study is open to adults aged 18 and over who are fully vaccinated and will use a booster created by pharmaceutical company Sanofi.

Professor Adam Finn, chief investigator for the study, said: ‘Throughout the pandemic we have seen excellent engagement and participation from the public within multiple pivotal vaccine studies. By examining the safety and effectiveness of the booster vaccine from Sanofi, it’s hoped researchers and participants can help add another option to our current portfolio of vaccines.

‘Booster vaccines from different suppliers will give us a broader range of vaccines and help us to reinforce supply as we look to boost immunity in the population going forward, as needed.’

For the first phase of the study, which opens next week, researchers are specifically looking for volunteers aged 18 to 55 who have received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

For the second phase of the study, which is expected to launch in November, researchers would like to hear from anyone over the age of 18 who has received two doses of either the AstraZeneca or the Pfizer vaccines.

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Since the opening of the Portsmouth Research Hub at the John Pounds Centre in March by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, hundreds of city residents have come forward to support Covid-19 vaccine research including the Cov-boost study, which is looking at different Covid-19 vaccines given as a third booster dose, as well as a study exploring how well an AstraZeneca variant vaccine protects against the Beta Covid-19 variant.

Dr Patrick Moore, a GP and local investigator for the study, said: ‘We have been overwhelmed by the response from the local community and would like to thank Portsmouth residents for their continued support and for stepping forward to take part in our vital Covid-19 vaccine research.

‘It is important that we continue to test new Covid-19 vaccines as they become available and the results of this study will inform future vaccine booster programmes, helping us to understand how we can best protect the population.’

Anyone interested in taking part in the study can visit sanofistudies.com/covidbooster.

The News launched the Grab a Jab campaign this summer in a bid to boost vaccination rates in Portsmouth, which have lagged behind neighbouring areas.

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