Media Release
Date: 14 April 2021
RUH seeks new COVID-19 study volunteers
More volunteers are being urged to come forward and enrol in an important COVID-19 study taking place next week, 19 April, at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.
Researchers are looking for people aged 18 or over – particularly those over 65 – and who are waiting to have their second coronavirus vaccination, to help the study examine whether booster COVID-19 vaccines could be given at the same time as flu vaccines.
Dr Kelly Spencer, RUH Head of Research Operations, said: "This is a great opportunity for people to play a crucial role in the wider global effort to continue to protect people against both COVID-19 and flu in the future.
"This is an important study that will enable us potentially to protect more people in society against both flu and COVID-19. We'd welcome more volunteers to be a part of research that could make a real difference to our knowledge and to public health."
While there are vaccines that have been approved to protect against COVID-19 in the UK, it is not yet known whether further booster doses may be required to give continued protection, and how giving boosters might fit in with the seasonal flu jab programme.
Research teams at the RUH have joined the ComFluCOV vaccine study, which began across the South West on 29 March, to look at the side effects and immune response when people receive their COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same appointment.
The study will look to recruit 504 participants across six NHS sites: The Royal United Hospitals Bath, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, North Bristol NHS Trust, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust and United Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.
For more information about the study and how to sign up, visit the vaccine trial website: comflucov.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
Frequently asked questions about the study can be found on the UHBW website.