A retired consultant says she hopes taking part in new COVID-19 vaccine research will help save lives in the future.
Alison Kalus, 59, from Hampshire, is the first person to enter the NextCOVE Study in the Wessex region.
The new trial is investigating a COVID-19 booster vaccine designed to protect against multiple variants.
Local people are invited to come forward to take part in the important research study at Wessex Research Hubs.
Visit www.nextcovestudyuk.com for more information.
UK-wide research effort
More than one million people have taken part in COVID-19 research across the UK. Thanks to these efforts, we now have effective vaccines and treatments.
Professor Saul Faust, Clinical Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) Wessex and Director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility, 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.”
Take part
The new COVID-19 booster vaccine has been developed by Moderna.
The NextCOVE Study is open to people aged 18 and older who have received a COVID-19 vaccine and at least one booster dose.
Eligible participants will receive payment for trial-related time and travel.
The research is supported in Southampton by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) In Wessex.
First participant
Alison Kalus took part at the Portsmouth Research Hub.
“I am really happy to help with clinical research because hopefully it will help save lives in the future,” she said. “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."
Ongoing research
A number of approved COVID-19 vaccines are now available, but it is still very important to take part in new research.
Different vaccines and dose schedules are needed for different groups of people. Several COVID-19 vaccine studies are still running in the UK, which need more volunteers to step forward.
Dr Patrick Moore, Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the NIHR CRN Wessex, said:
"We have been overwhelmed by the response from our local communities in the search for better vaccines.
“I would like to thank these volunteers for their continued support and for stepping forward to take part in our vital ongoing research.
“It is important we continue the fight against COVID-19 and its evolving variants, to develop new and improved vaccines to protect the most vulnerable and inform future vaccine booster programmes."
Image: Research Nurse Vrengzak Dayol talks Alison Kalus through the study at the Portsmouth Research Hub. Image credit: Wessex Research Hubs
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