World’s first ‘variant-proof’ booster vaccine starts UK trial

World's first 'variant-proof' booster vaccine starts UK trial

World's first 'variant-proof' booster vaccine starts UK trial Credit: Pixabay

World’s first ‘variant-proof’ booster vaccine starts UK trial in Manchester.

The new GRT-R910 drug is believed to be a possibly variant beating booster jab. Scientists believe that this booster shot will increase the immune response provided by the original vaccines given, and fight off any variants of COVID that appear in the future.

Helen Clarke aged 64, is a retired nurse and along with her husband Andrew the pair were the first people to trial the new drug.

Mrs Clarke commented that: ‘I used to work in the NHS and had been involved in research as a nurse in the past.

‘We’ve been amazed how quickly a vaccine was made and approved, and that couldn’t happen without volunteers.’

Mr Clarke said: ‘Because we’re both retired, we feel we had a reasonably easy lockdown, but we know it wasn’t the same for everybody.

‘We feel that this is perhaps a small part we can play in helping to make things change.’

The trial is expected return results early next year and if everything goes to plan a further 20 volunteers who are aged 60 and over will need to be recruited.

One of the clinical leads at Manchester University, Professor Andrew Ustianowski, commented on the new booster vaccine and said: ‘We now know the immune response to first-generation vaccines can wane, particularly in older people.

‘Coupled with the prevalence of emerging variants, there is a clear need for continued vigilance to keep Covid-19 at bay.

‘We think GRT-R910 as a booster vaccination will elicit strong, durable and broad immune responses, which are likely to be critical in maintaining protection of this vulnerable elderly population who are particularly at risk of hospitalisation and death.’


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Alex
Written by

Alex Glenn

Originally from the UK, Alex is based in Almeria and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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