We are developing a new vaccine to protect against bacteria called Pneumococcus.
Small numbers of these bacteria are often found in the nose. Usually, the carrier does not know the bacteria are there. In most adults this is present at least once per year and more often in children. We think that small numbers of bacteria present in the nose (“nasal carriage”) can help to protect people against disease.
Mild infections with pneumococcus are very common, such as ear infections in children. But pneumococcus can also infect the lung (causing pneumonia) or the brain (causing meningitis) or the blood (causing sepsis). These severe infections are very uncommon in healthy adults: about 50 cases in Liverpool per year. Very young children and adults who are elderly or those who have other illnesses are more likely to become ill.
We may be able to protect people against severe disease from pneumococcus using a vaccine which could be sprayed into the nose. We don’t yet know if this will work.
To test the idea, our research team want to study what happens when small numbers of the bacteria are put up the nose of healthy volunteers. We have already studied this: more than 400 volunteers have been safely studied using another single strain (type) of these bacteria.
We now want to do the same with different strains. This will let us compare whether the presence of this bacteria provides protection from one strain with another.
Would you like to take part in our research?
The information leaflet attached tells you how you could take part.
A member of our team will also discuss it with you: please ask us if you have questions.
You may want to talk to other people about the study: please do so. Take your time to decide if you want to be involved.
We are looking for volunteers who are fit and healthy between theh ages of 18 and 50
We check for reasons which may put you at higher risk from the study. We also make sure that your participation will provide helpful information to us. If we find any reason you may be at higher risk of infection, then we will not invite you to take part.
Text: 2vol2 to 88802
Email: 2volresearch@lstmed.ac.uk(link sends e-mail)
Tel: 0151 706 3381
