Covid-19: New booster vaccine targeting multiple variants to be trialled in Portsmouth

People are being invited by the health service to take part in a trial for the new booster jab, which has been designed to protect people against multiple variants of the virus.

This new booster vaccine has been developed by Moderna, with the study open to anyone over the age of 18 who has received both the Covid-19 vaccine and a booster jab.

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The research study is taking place at the Portsmouth Research Hub in the John Pounds Centre, supported by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in Wessex.

Professor Saul Faust, clinical director of the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) Wessex, said: ‘Public participation in Covid-19 research is still vital to enable effective treatments to be identified, evidenced and made available to NHS patients. We are inviting people to take part in this important study for a vaccine that may protect against multiple variants, including the Omicron variant.’

Mark Roland, acting medical director in Portsmouth, added: ‘Despite vaccines, some people still get severe Covid. We know the virus is continually evolving, and vaccines are constantly changing to combat these new variants.

‘The more people who participate in vaccine studies, the better prepared we are to stay ahead of the virus and protect ourselves and our communities even as new variants emerge.’

The first person in Hampshire to receive the trial booster vaccine was retired consultant Alison Kalus, 59.

She said: ‘I am really happy to help with clinical research because hopefully it will help save lives in the future.

‘I've got two elderly parents I spend a lot of time with, and a very vulnerable friend, so I am very conscious of protecting them against Covid-19, and by doing this I get another booster. I also took part in the Cov-Boost trial so when the research nurse called and asked me to take part again, I was happy to agree.’

Eligible participants will receive payment for trial-related time and travel.

To register for the trial people can go to nextcovestudyuk.com.