Third dose of Covid jab to be trialled
Author: Wardah Sempa | Wednesday 19th May 2021
The public is being urged to take part in trials to find out whether a third dose of the Covid vaccine could protect against new variants. All seven vaccines the UK has ordered will be tested on working-age people and over-75s as part of a randomised trial.
The Cov-Boost trial – the first in the world to provide vital data on the impact of the third dose on patients’ immune responses – will study the effect of giving an additional dose of one of seven different vaccines to 2,886 UK participants, on top of the two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines they have already received.
As well as examining the level of protection afforded by a third dose, the trial will also look at any side effects triggered by these booster jabs. The results will be used by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to decide whether a booster dose is necessary, and which of the vaccines would be best suited for this use. Results are expected by the end of August, with a final decision taken by the JCVI in September.
