Health Minister Robin Swann has announced that Northern Ireland has been chosen as one of the regions to take part in a major UK trial of a potential vaccine to help in the fight against COVID-19.
It is hoped that up to 350 volunteers from Northern Ireland will participate in the trial, which is expected to commence by the end of the week and the announcement is accompanied by an appeal for further volunteers to join those who have already signed up.
The Minister said: “The importance of finding a vaccine to help in the battle against this virus cannot be overstated. Despite the magnificent efforts of our health service and the amazing response of society as a whole we remain on a knife edge as we seek to protect ourselves and our loved ones. As we continue to put in place all possible measures there’s never been a more important time for health research studies into the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Currently there are over 30 vaccine trials taking place around the world in an effort to discover as soon as possible which will be safe and effective. It is vital that Northern Ireland joins this important world-wide effort.
“I am delighted that the public in Northern Ireland will have the opportunity to take part in this important trial which has the potential to discover a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19. Already almost 5000 people who are willing to be approached to take part in a trial have signed up to the Vaccine Registry and I would encourage more people here to join today to help this international effort.”
A Northern Ireland COVID-19 Vaccine Research Delivery Group led by HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency has been established to coordinate a regional approach to delivering COVID-19 vaccine trials in Northern Ireland. The trial being run by Novavax will be supported in Northern Ireland by the NI Clinical Research Network, which is funded by HSC R&D Division.
The trial will take place in sites across the UK including in Northern Ireland and it is anticipated that the first participants will be recruited here at the start of October.
Dr Janice Bailie, Assistant Director of HSC R&D Division of the Public Health Agency, said: “COVID-19 vaccine trials are essential to identify which vaccines are both safe and effective, so that wide scale vaccination can start as soon as possible.
“There are different types of vaccines, and we don't know which one will work best to protect people from catching COVID-19. It might be that different vaccines are needed for different groups of people, and it’s only through vaccine trials we will find this out.”
Up to 350 participants in Northern Ireland will be recruited from the UK Vaccine Registry, which was launched in July. Potential participants who have signed up to the Vaccine Registry to be approached to take part in a vaccine trial, will be invited to undergo an assessment to determine whether they are eligible for the trial.
To sign up to be contacted for coronavirus vaccine studies click here.