The University of Glasgow and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) are supporting the University of Oxford’s SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus vaccine trials in health and care staff. The collaboration is part of the University of Oxford’s Phase III of the trial, which involves assessing health and care staff living in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, who will be invited to take part in the trial if they are aged 18–55 years, healthy and have not been infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Frontline health, dental and care staff working in a COVID-19 clinical area such as Intensive Care Units, Emergency Departments, COVID-19 Wards, Community Assessment Centres, care homes and ambulance service are encouraged to apply. This also includes non-clinical staff.
A total of 250 people will initially be recruited, with participants randomised to receive one or two doses of either the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or a licensed meningitis vaccine (MenACWY) that will be used as a ‘control’ for comparison.
ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is made from a virus (ChAdOx1) that is a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) which causes infections in chimpanzees, and has been genetically changed so that it is impossible for it to replicate in humans.
Participants will be involved in the trial for the next 12 months and will be supported by NHSGGC and University of Glasgow researchers throughout its duration.