- It is one of six health centers in Spain selected to participate in an evaluation study of an investigational vaccine with mRNA technology.
- People over 65 years of age interested in participating can request it by email or phone.
Vigo, Thursday, November 17 2022 – With more than 80 vaccinated volunteers, Ribera Povisa is the hospital in Spain that has included the most patients so far in the evaluation study of the flu vaccine developed by Moderna with mRNA technology. The Vigo hospital, which will continue carrying out tests until November 30, is one of the six Spanish health centers selected to be part of this international trial in which 230 hospitals in the northern hemisphere collaborate, which will test some 23.000 patients.
The volunteer selection process will remain open until the 30th, the date on which this phase 3 study will conclude, which has been approved by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) and whose objective is to verify the effectiveness against influenza of the new vaccine in development compared to the conventional quadrivalent vaccine on the market.
In phase 2, the safety of the dose has already been tested and it has been proven that it has no serious side effects, in addition to observing that the production of antibodies against influenza A is very powerful. Now, in phase 3, the effectiveness in preventing influenza in the general population over 50 years of age will be evaluated.
After completing the quota planned for those over 55 years of age in the first two weeks, the trial will now be limited to people 65 years of age or older who have not yet been inoculated against the flu, who have not suffered from the disease in the previous six months. and who have not received the dose against Covid-19 in the last four weeks. Volunteers cannot be allergic to the components of the vaccine (including eggs) nor be treated with drugs that alter the immune response.
In Ribera Povisa, the multidisciplinary team participating in the trial is made up of professionals from Internal Medicine, Occupational Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Central Services.
“All participants are inoculated with the flu vaccine, but some receive the conventional vaccine and others the trial vaccine. Then they are monitored for a year electronically through an application and by telephone,” explained Dr. Javier de la Fuente, head of the Internal Medicine service. The process is carried out through a method called double blind, in which neither the patients nor the researchers know who is being inoculated with the experimental or conventional vaccine, since codes are assigned that are only known from the center in charge. to supervise the trial at a global level.
Influenza (especially type A) causes between 3 and 5 million severe cases and between 290.000 and 650.000 respiratory deaths each year, despite the availability of current vaccines.
Those interested in being part of this trial can send an email with their information to the email address secretaria.comision.docencia@povisa.es or contact us by phone 986 41 31 44 and extension 1545.
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