NHS Grampian is looking to recruit more than 400 volunteers to help test a new Covid-19 vaccine.
People in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire aged between 18 and 84 are being asked to volunteer for the study.
The 450 people from the north-east will join 9,000 people from 18 regions across the UK in testing a vaccine that has shown promising results following preliminary trials.
The aim is to recruit a representative sample of the region, however, the study is not suitable for people taking anticoagulant therapy (aspirin is fine) or anyone pregnant or aiming to become pregnant in the next year.
People in groups that are at higher risk from Covid-19 due to age, social situation or ethnicity are encouraged to apply.
The vaccine being trialled is from a company called Novavax.
Dr Roy Soiza, consultant physician at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and principal investigator of the Novovax trial said he is quietly confident about the success of Novavax.
He said: “We’ve been trying for some weeks to persuade the Covid vaccine manufacturers to come to Aberdeen and test their vaccine here because I think we have very good facilities and I’m sure there’s a great appetite amongst the people in the north-east to participate, so I’m delighted that we can offer people the opportunity to participate in a covid vaccine trial.
“This vaccine we’re trialling is from a company called Novavax and has already been through what we call phase one and phase two testing, these are the very preliminary stages of testing where we have looked at things like safety, so it looks very safe, and also what sort of antibody response that people who have had the vaccine get.
“The good news is that it looks really exciting and promising on paper so the sort of antibody response that people who have had the vaccine get is similar to people who have had real covid so the hope is that people who have had this vaccine will be immune.
“This is the first phase three study, so the next step would be to prove the vaccine actually prevents people from getting covid and this trial is the very first in the world to do that for this vaccine, and only the second after the Oxford trial to be undertaken in the United Kingdom.”
Aberdeen City Council co-leader Douglas Lumsden, who also sits on the NHS Grampian board, said he has applied to become a volunteer.
He added: “It’s vital to get people to come forward to take part in the trial.
“If I’m a suitable volunteer, I hope I can take part. I think it’s important everyone does their bit to get through this.”
People interested in applying can email their details to gram.covidvaccinetrial@nhs.scot
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