COV002: Covid-19 Vaccine Trial

The COV002 trial aims to assess how well people across a broad range of ages could be protected from COVID-19 using a new vaccine called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. It will also provide valuable information on safety of the vaccine and its ability to generate good immune responses against the virus.

Here at NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility we supported three Cambridgeshire NHS trusts together for the first time: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH),  Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), where we worked together offering the opportunity for healthy staff who aged between 18-55 years old, who have not been infected with coronavirus but have regular face to face contact with COVID-19 patients, to take part in the trial. CPFT is the only integrated physical, mental health and social care NHS Trust in the UK offering the trial to staff across the region.

Participants that were eligible to take part in the study, were randomised to receive one dose of either the trial vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) or a licensed meningitis vaccine (MenACWY) that was used as a ‘control’ for comparison. Screening of participants began on 29 May 2020 and following vaccination, participants will be followed up over 12 months.

Dr Estée Török, Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology and Principal Investigator at CUH, said: “Developing an effective vaccine is key to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. We are delighted to be working with CPFT and Royal Papworth on this UK national priority vaccine trial. We are looking for healthy volunteers at high risk of COVID-19 infection at CUH to participate in this study and are most grateful to them for doing so.” 

If you missed our featured on BBC News, June 2020 and you can watch it here.

 For further information on the COVID-19 vaccine trial visit the University of Oxford website.