25 Oct 2022
COVID-19 vaccine booster study opens for recruitment
The Doherty Institute is looking for participants for a new study that aims to better understand how the timing of COVID-19 booster vaccines affects immune system response.
Researchers have put the call out for 64 participants who have already received two or three doses of any COVID-19 vaccine, with their most recent dose administered more than four months ago.
Using the recently approved Moderna bivalent vaccine, participants in the study will be randomised to receive a Moderna Omicron booster vaccine when they enrol or three months later.
Lead Immunologist for the study and Senior Researcher at the Doherty Institute University of Melbourne’s Dr Jennifer Juno said she hopes the trial will help further understanding of the best time to administer the new booster vaccines and protect people against COVID-19.
“We are now moving into a new phase where we are trying to understand infection with the new strains and how vaccines can provide us protection against Omicron and possibly future variants that might circulate,” Dr Juno said.
“We’re excited to use this data to complement our additional studies and hopefully give us more insight into what’s happening in immune responses in the Australian population as the pandemic and vaccine rollout continues to evolve.
“It’s a unique opportunity to see research translate into real-world potential,” Dr Juno said.
This study is now closed for recruitment.