WHO calls for action as Europe coronavirus cases rise
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The Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax Covid vaccines will be administered to people with weakened immune systems. Scientists aim to uncover whether a third jab really is worthwhile. Funded by the British Government, the study follows on from the results of the OCTAVE trial. In the OCTAVE study, researchers found that 89 percent of people who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed generate antibodies.
In addition, the results revealed that only 60 percent of people generated a strong antibody response after two doses.
Research has now been approved to assess whether a third Covid vaccine will improve the immune response for people who have weakened immune systems.
Dubbed “OCTAVE DUO”, the study – costing £2.2 million – will build on the results of the first clinical trial led by the University of Glasgow.
The data from the first study highlighted that 40 percent of people with lowered immune systems had “undetectable” immune responses after two Covid vaccines.
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The level of antibodies required for protection from COVID-19 is still not known.
However, T cells are thought to play an important role in protecting people from the virus.
This means that the results from the first trial can not provide a conclusive assessment of the protection warranted by vaccines.
For the follow-up trial, those originally recruited for the experiment will be called up again to volunteer.
The results are expected to be obtained and shared later this year.
This will help inform the UK’s Covid vaccine deployment programme in these specific at-risk groups.
Patients will have their immune responses closely monitored until mid 2022.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Vaccines have built a strong wall of defence in the UK and this is allowing most of us to learn to live safely with COVID-19.
“We know some people may get less protection from the vaccine than others, so we are planning for a booster programme in the autumn, prioritising those most at risk.
“This new study will play an important role in helping to shape the deployment of future vaccines doses for these specific at-risk groups.”
Patients included in the OCTAVE DUO study are people with:
- Lymphoid malignancies
- Immune mediated inflammatory diseases (including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, vasculitis and inflammatory bowel disease)
- Renal disease
- Solid tumours (including breast and lung cancers)
- Haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation
- Hepatic and intestinal disease
- Primary immune deficiency.
Dr Rob Buckle, Chief Scientist of the Medical Research Council, part of UKRI, which co-funded the trial, commented on the trial.
“This new study of giving third jabs to this group is critical research,” he said.
Dr Buckle added: “We hope [it] will demonstrate a much-needed immunity boost or identify those who could benefit from other interventions.”
Data from Public Health England (PHE) show that Covid vaccines “are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant”.
The Pfizer jab is said to be 96 percent effective, whereas the AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 percent effective against hospitalisation after two doses for those without a compromised immune system.
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