NIH launches clinical trial which will see people who had Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine given a Moderna booster shot to see if mixing injections offers greater protection
- A study led by the NIH will test the effectiveness of mixing COVID-19 vaccines
- Total of 150 participants fully vaccinated who received Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines will all be given the Moderna booster shot
- Some participants whose first two shots were Moderna will also be given the same booster
- Boosters may be needed in order to combat the many evolving variants of the virus, which are more contagious
- Researchers hope to determine which combination of the vaccines is most effective in combatting variants
- The first results of the study are expected to be available in late summer 2021
Americans who had Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccination will be given a Moderna booster as part of a trial to test the effects of mixing different shots – and to see whether doing so can boost protection from virus variants.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) study has enrolled 150 fully-vaccinated participants. Some of those people were also received Moderna’s shot as their original vaccine, with scientists keen to see if giving people the same three shots produces different results than mixing two different injections.
Currently, vaccine manufacturers are in the process of developing booster shots to protect against more contagious and infectious variants.
NIH researchers want to determine if mixing vaccines is safe – and also to test a theory that mixing different vaccines could actually further boost immunity against COVID-19.
The NIH is performing a study to see if different Covid-19 vaccines can be mixed. They will be testing the Moderna booster shot on participants who received any of the three available vaccines to investigate whether mixing vaccines can boost immunity
Dr Fauci has said that a third booster shot will be necessary for Americans to remain safe from virus variants. Early trials from Pfizer show Americans could need their third shot as early as September
‘Although the vaccines currently authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration offer strong protection against COVID-19, we need to prepare for the possibility of needing booster shots to counter waning immunity and to keep pace with an evolving virus,’ said Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is leading and funding the study.
‘The results of this trial are intended to inform public health policy decisions on the potential use of mixed vaccine schedules should booster doses be indicated.’
The study, led by a researcher from Baylor College, will include 150 Americans who already are fully vaccinated.
Each member of the study, no matter which of the vaccines they received, will receive a dose of a Moderna booster shot designed to combat vaccine variants.
Participants who initially received the Moderna shot will also receive the Moderna booster in order to function as a control group.
Data will be collected over the next year, and participants will be evaluated to find how safe they are from the virus, and also if there are any unique side effects to mixing vaccines.
There will also be a separate group of unvaccinated individuals who will receive two doses of the Moderna vaccine for the study and then be given the third shot anywhere from 12 to 20 weeks later.
Members of the study who fall ill with COVID-19 the virus will be tested to see if they contracted a variant, and it will be determined what vaccine combination is most effective against the many variants of the virus.
Initial results for the study are expected by late summer.
The study was announced amid claims Americans may soon need another booster shot of the Covid-19 vaccine in order to stay safe from the virus.
Fauci and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla both told Axios last month that a third dose of their vaccine will likely be required for Americans.
Early clinical trials show the third dose could be needed as early as September for those who received the vaccine early on.
The booster shots are likely to be required because of the many variants of the virus circulating around the world, with many more likely to form as the pandemic continues in other countries in 2021 and beyond.
Currently, more than 60 percent of American adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, but there are reports of millions not showing up to receive their second dose.