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The vaccine will be tested on thousands of people to see if it can prevent norovirus, a gastroenteritis that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
The easily spreadable winter virus affects people of all ages, often with huge consequences, including closing hospital wards, keeping children out of school and parents out of work. Masu.
The vaccine will be tested over the next two years in more than six countries around the world on about 25,000 adults, primarily over the age of 60.
Researchers say that if successful, this would reduce the number of vulnerable adults admitted to hospital over the winter and reduce the financial burden on health systems such as the NHS.
Vaccines already exist for viruses such as influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus and protect millions of people each year, but until now there has been no licensed vaccine for norovirus.
The vaccine under clinical trials is an mRNA vaccine made by Moderna. Similar to the company’s COVID-19 jab, it recognizes an invading virus and instructs the immune system on how to produce antibodies and defend against the virus.
The trouble with norovirus is that it is difficult to identify.
“Genotypic diversity has changed extensively over time,” says Dr Patrick Moore, a general practitioner in Dorset and lead researcher on the study.
Therefore, for the best possible results, this vaccine contains three of the most common virus strains.
There are still many unknowns. For example, how long does protection from the virus last, how effective is it, and how often do vaccines need to be updated?
The answers to these questions should be revealed during the trial, a collaboration between the UK government, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Moderna.
Twenty-seven NHS hospitals and centers across England, Scotland and Wales will take part in the trial, where half of the people recruited will be vaccinated and their health will be compared with other volunteers.
Researchers also plan to focus on the vaccine’s side effects.
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The impact of norovirus on the UK has been devastating.
There are also human costs. Each year, about 4 million people become infected with the disease bug, resulting in 12,000 hospitalizations and 80 deaths.
The financial cost to the NHS is around £100m a year.
Those most at risk are often older people and the most vulnerable, including care home residents. However, healthcare workers, childcare workers, flight attendants, and cruise ship passengers and employees are also often affected.
The only treatment for norovirus is to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Saul Faust, professor of pediatric immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, said norovirus was “putting a huge strain on the health system”.
“Any infection increases frailty, which is harder to recover from in older people,” he says.
The trial will use mobile units so researchers can travel to nursing homes and administer the vaccine to more people.
Professor Faust said if the vaccine ultimately shows at least 65% efficacy and further trials are carried out, it could also be used to protect children.
But that’s probably a few years away. In the meantime, researchers are focused on gathering data that shows the vaccine reduces the risk of contracting norovirus. They will then send this information to UK regulators to get the jab approved.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said norovirus puts the NHS under “extreme strain every winter”.
He said: “The UK is leading the way in developing the world’s first vaccine against this vomiting bug.”
NIHR chief executive Professor Lucy Chappell said vaccines could make a difference to the lives of many people, especially the most vulnerable.
Other pharmaceutical companies are also developing norovirus vaccines, including HilleVax and Vaxart.
