USA Starts Clinical Trial Evaluating Second Covid Booster Shots

A Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating various additional Covid-19 booster shots has started enrolling adult participants in the USA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said.

The trial is sponsored by the NIH and aims to understand of different vaccine regimens can broaden immune responses in adults who have already received a primary vaccination series along with a first booster shot. 

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci has said, “We are looking beyond the Omicron variant to determine the best strategy to protect against future variants as well.” 

The top infectious disease expert in the country has said, “This trial will help us understand if we can use prototype and variant vaccines alone or together to shift immune response to cover existing and emerging covid-19 variants.”

According to NIH, vaccines available so far in the United States maintain lasting protection against severe Covid19, despite waning protection against infections and mild illnesses during the Omicron wave. However, NIAID is preparing for future variants that escape protection against the currently available Covid19 vaccine.