Approved vaccine studies

This page lists the NIHR supported vaccine studies that are currently approved to use the NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Research Registry and that you may receive contact about.

All study invitations from the vaccine research registry will be sent to you from NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Research Registry (ccsm@nhsdigital.nhs.uk). Please note however that if you complete a pre-screener for a study, any follow up emails will be from the study team this will be an ac.uk; nhs.uk; nhs.net; nihr.ac.uk address.

We still need your help

There is no change to any of the number of clinical trials into COVID vaccines at the moment, and it is essential that these continue.

We will need data about a number of vaccines and their safety and effectiveness, in order to protect the population. No one vaccine is likely to be suitable for everyone, the first vaccine may not be the most effective and easiest to use, and we must make sure that the other studies continue to allow us to have a selection of vaccines to protect the whole population.

Studies looking for volunteers

The Southampton NIHR Clinical Research Facility, located within Southampton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is looking for healthy volunteers to take part in our new, first in human, needleless vaccine study that is designed to protect against multiple coronavirus variants. If you are aged 18-50 and in good health you may be eligible to participate. Volunteers will receive payment for their time and travel during the study. Participation on the trial will last around 12 months with volunteers attending 11 visits. To find out more contact the Project Management Team at UHS.recruitmentCRF@nhs.net

The purpose of this first in man study is to evaluate a new vaccine designed to protect against all Sarbeco Coronaviruses (and has the potential to protect against the variants of SARS-CoV-2) called pEVAC_PS, at different doses to assess its safety and immune response in healthy volunteers. This is the first study to use the pEVAC_PS vaccine in human participants. It is planned that up to a total of 36 volunteers will participate in the study.

Scientists at Cambridge University have developed pEVAC_PS, a vaccine using Digital Immune Optimised Synthetic Vaccine (DIOSynVax) technology. The vaccine contains DNA which tells the body how to make a protein (called an antigen) which is designed to trigger the broadest response against Sarbeco Coronaviruses, including known variants of SARS-CoV-2.  Whilst most vaccines require a needle and syringe to deliver the vaccine “intramuscularly” (meaning into muscle), the pEVAC_PS vaccine will be delivered “intradermally” (meaning into the skin), via a device called PharmaJet Tropis using air pressure.

Studies that are now closed for recruitment

The studies listed below have previously used the NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Research Registry to help identify suitable participants. These vaccine studies have now reached their recruitment target and their results are helping us to learn more about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

What is the purpose of this research trial?

There are now a number of vaccines that have been approved in the UK to prevent COVID-19 and other vaccines that are still in UK clinical trials, which may be approved later in the year. Millions of people have now received their first 2 vaccinations, which we call a “prime-boost” course. There were 2 vaccines used by the NHS to deliver an initial prime-boost during the first part of the NHS immunisation campaign: ChAdOx1-nCov19 (commonly known as the “Oxford vaccine” or ‘AstraZeneca Vaccine’), and BNT162b2 (commonly known as the “Pfizer vaccine”). The NHS has now recommended all adults receive a 3rd dose booster vaccine against COVID-19 at least 3 months after they received their second dose.

This study is trying to determine the side effect profile, safety and immune response of giving different 3rd COVID-19 vaccine doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer) and mRNA-1272 (Moderna) to people who have previously received 2 doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or mRNA-1272 (Moderna). The study team will be enrolling men and women aged 18 to 30 years old who have had 2 doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or mRNA-1272 (Moderna) and are at least 3 months (84 days) after their second dose.

Am I suitable to take part?

Adults who are aged 18 – 30 years who have had 2 doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or mRNA1273 (Moderna) and are at least 3 months (84 days) since their second dose are eligible to take part. In order to participate in the study:

- You must be willing to tell the trial staff about your medical history, and you may be asked to allow the trial staff to check this with your General Practitioner (GP). Bear in mind that the study team would also notify your GP if you joined the trial (even if they did not need to check your medical history with them in advance).

- You must agree not to donate blood during the trial

The trial will compare vaccines that are currently being used for the UK vaccination programme, as well as new vaccines as they are approved. Low-risk pregnant women aged 18-45 years-old and between 13-34 weeks gestation can be considered for enrolment onto the study. Once successfully enrolled, participants will be randomised to receive two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (or only one dose if the participant has already received their first dose) in a short-time interval (4-6 weeks) or a long-time interval (8-12 weeks).

For some participants this means they will receive their second dose after delivery. The majority of participants will be blinded to the vaccine they receive. Some participants will also be blinded to the interval between doses by incorporating the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine into the trial schedule. Participants will be followed up until one year after delivery. 

Blood samples will be taken from participants throughout the study. For some participants, a cord blood sample will be taken after delivery. For all participants, a baby blood sample will be taken between 4 and 12 weeks of age. Participants will be asked to complete a symptom diary and any significant medical events will be investigated. For a sub-group of participants breastmilk samples will also be collected.

Results of the trial will be disseminated in peer-reviewed scientific journals, internal reports, conference presentations and online publications.

If you would like to find out more, please read the Study Information Booklet (PDF)
and if you are interested in taking part, please complete the pre-screening questionnaire on the study website.

What is the purpose of this research trial?
There are now a number of vaccines that have been approved in the UK to prevent COVID-19 and other vaccines that are still in UK clinical trials. Millions of people have now received their first 2 vaccinations, as well as a third dose booster vaccine. The Omicron variant is now the most common variant of the virus which causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in the UK, and due to mutations on its spike protein it is more capable of evading the immune response generated by existing vaccines against COVID-19 than previous variants. Two doses are thought to provide very little protection against infection with the omicron variant (although they do provide good protection against severe disease), however three doses provide much improved protection against infection and severe disease or death. We also know that protection against infection wanes over a period of months following vaccination.

It is currently unknown whether providing further doses of existing COVID-19 vaccines (such as BNT162b2, the Pfizer vaccine) would produce better immune responses against the Omicron variant, or other variants of SARS-CoV-2 (such as Delta), or whether giving updated vaccines which are designed to help the body recognise the Omicron variant spike protein (such as mRNA-1273.214) would provide superior protection.

This study is trying to determine the side effect profile, safety and immune response of giving different fourth COVID-19 vaccine booster doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer) and a bivalent vaccine, mRNA-1273.214 (Moderna) to people who have previously received 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. We will be enrolling men and women aged 30 years or older who have received 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccine (with the third dose being either BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) and are at least 3 months (84 days) after their third dose.

Am I suitable to take part?
Adults who are aged 30 years or older who have had 3 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (with the third dose having been mRNA1273 or BNT162b2) and are at least 3 months (84 days) since their third dose are eligible to take part. In order to participate in the study:

  • You must be willing to tell the trial staff about your medical history, and you may be asked to allow the trial staff to check this with your General Practitioner (GP). Bear in mind that we would also notify your GP if you joined the trial (even if we did not need to check your medical history with them in advance).

  • If you are able to become pregnant you must be willing to practice continuous effective contraception during the first 3 months of the trial and have negative pregnancy tests on the days of vaccination.

  • You must agree not to donate blood during the trial.

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit the COV-Boost website.

Moderna is conducting a clinical trial, called the mRNA-1273-P305 clinical trial, on an investigational vaccine booster that may protect against the COVID-19 Omicron variant, and you may be eligible to take part. The mRNA-1273-P305 clinical trial is evaluating the safety and immune response of the investigational mRNA-1273.529 vaccine booster compared to a booster dose of the Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax, which is the vaccine that received conditional marketing authorization in the EU.

With different strains of COVID-19, there is an urgent need to develop vaccination plans that will provide greater protection. A vaccine booster that protects against COVID-19 variants, including the Omicron variant, would be a crucial public health tool to help curb the pandemic.

Participation in this trial lasts up to 13 months and includes phone calls, telemedicine visits, and up to six visits to the trial site. Participants will receive a single dose of either investigational vaccine booster, mRNA-1273.529, or the already authorized vaccine, Spikevax.

Eligible participants must:

  • Be 16 years of age or older
  • Be in good health
  • Have previously received two or three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine 
    • Participants who have previously received a third dose must have received an mRNA vaccine (Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech) as a third dose
    • Participants who have previously received two doses may have received mRNA (Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech) or non-mRNA (Oxford/AstraZeneca, Janssen) vaccines
  • Have not received a COVID-19 vaccine within the past 3 months
  • Have not tested positive for COVID-19 since 08 November 2021 or have had significant exposure to someone who has tested positive within the past 14 days

Additional eligibility criteria apply. All criteria will be discussed with trial participants.

What is the purpose of this research trial?

There are now a number of vaccines that have been approved in the UK to prevent COVID-19 and other vaccines that are still in UK clinical trials, which may be approved later in the year. Millions of people have now received their first 2 vaccinations, as well as a third dose booster vaccine. The Omicron variant is now the most common variant of the virus which causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in the UK, and due to mutations on its spike protein it is more capable of evading the immune response generated by existing vaccines against COVID-19 than previous variants. Two doses are thought to provide very little protection against infection (although they do provide good protection against severe disease), however three doses provide much improved protection against infection and severe disease or death. It is also known that protection against infection wanes over a period of months following vaccination.

It is currently unknown whether providing further doses of existing COVID-19 vaccines (such as BNT162b2, the Pfizer vaccine) would produce better immune responses against the Omicron variant, or other variants of SARS-CoV-2 (such as Delta), or whether giving updated vaccines which are designed to help the body recognise the Omicron variant spike protein (such as mRNA-1273.529) would provide superior protection.

This study is trying to determine the side effect profile, safety and immune response of giving a fourth COVID-19 vaccine booster doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer) and mRNA-1273.529 (Moderna) to people who have previously received 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The study team will be enrolling men and women aged 30 years or older who have received 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccine (with the third dose being either BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) and are at least 3 months (84 days) after their third dose.

Am I suitable to take part?

Adults who are aged 30 years or older who have had 3 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (with the third dose having been mRNA1273 or BNT162b2) and are at least 3 months (84 days) since their third dose are eligible to take part, providing that they have not previously tested positive for COVID-19. In order to participate in the study:

  • You must be willing to tell the trial staff about your medical history, and you may be asked to allow the trial staff to check this with your General Practitioner (GP).  Bear in mind that the study team would also notify your GP if you joined the trial (even if they did not need to check your medical history with them in advance).

  • If you are able to become pregnant you must be willing to practice continuous effective contraception during the first 3 months of the trial and have negative pregnancy tests on the days of vaccination

  • You must agree not to donate blood during the trial

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit the COV-Boost website.

The purpose of this study is to test a new COVID-19 vaccine to determine if it is safe and works to stimulate an immune response that may prevent COVID-19 disease. 

The COVID-19 vaccines in this study are either monovalent (containing the spike protein antigen from 1 variant [variant means type of coronavirus]) or bivalent (containing the spike protein antigen from 2 variants). There will be 2 monovalent vaccines and one bivalent vaccine in this study. The monovalent vaccines will contain either the D614 strain (original Wuhan strain) or the B.1.351 strain (Beta variant). The bivalent vaccine includes both the D614 and B.1.351 strains.

The purpose of this study is to determine if these investigational COVID-19 vaccines are safe and can stimulate and broaden the immune response against the different COVID-19 variants that cause COVID-19 when given as a single booster injection in participants who have previously been vaccinated with a full course of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine.

Those interested in volunteering for the trial can find out more by visiting the study website.

Study AZD2816 is researching an investigational COVID-19 vaccine that has been designed specifically against the Beta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which first emerged in South Africa. The study is also evaluating the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against the Beta variant. Although COVID-19 vaccines are now available in many countries, it is not known how well these vaccines will work against mutated or ‘variant’ forms of the SARS-CoV- 2 virus.

The study team are looking for volunteers who:

  • are 30 years of age and older
    and
  • have already received 2 doses (3–12 weeks apart) of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (at least 3 months before receiving the investigational vaccine in this study).

Participants in this study will receive either the investigational vaccine or the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as a single ‘booster’ injection. Study participation is likely to be about 6.5 months, but could vary depending on the vaccine group to which you are assigned.

The study is being conducted at multiple locations in the United Kingdom.

What email address will be used to contact me about taking part?

You will receive an email notification from AstraZeneca Beta Variant COVID-19 Vaccine Study (ccsm@nhsdigital.nhs.uk). If you decide you are interested in the study and complete the pre-screening questionnaire, the study team may then contact you directly from a different email address (ending ac.uk; nhs.uk; nhs.net; nihr.ac.uk).

Members of the public that meet the criteria for this study are invited to contact the study team directly, the study team is not sending email invitations directly to Vaccine Research Registry volunteers

This study involves comparing an investigational (study) vaccine against a placebo (injection with no active ingredient) to see if the study vaccine produces antibodies in expectant mothers and their babies once born and prevents COVID-19 in expectant mothers. It will also help us collect safety data on the study vaccine.

  • This study will help researchers learn more about how the study vaccine works for pregnant women and their babies.
  • All participants in the study will have the opportunity to receive the active study vaccine either while they are pregnant or shortly after giving birth.

Contact: ClinicalTrials.gov_Inquiries@pfizer.com

See full study details

The study team are looking for volunteers to take part in a study looking at the use of different COVID-19 vaccines for giving a third dose. This study is being run by a network of trial sites across the UK, and is sponsored by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

What is the purpose of this research trial?


There are now a number of vaccines that have been approved in the UK to prevent COVID- 19 and other vaccines that are still in UK clinical trials but which may be approved later in the year. Millions of people have now received their first 2 vaccinations, a “prime-boost” course. There were 2 vaccines used by the NHS to deliver an initial prime- boost during the first part of the NHS immunisation campaign: ChAdOx1-nCov19 (commonly known as the “Oxford vaccine”), and BNT1162b2 (commonly known as the “Pfizer vaccine”).

Whilst these have been shown to be highly effective at preventing severe disease due to COVID-19, the study team don’t know how long the immune protection from vaccination will last. In addition, variants of the virus which causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged with mutations which might make the immune response from vaccination less effective. It is therefore likely that additional, “booster” vaccinations might be needed for high risk groups after a period of time to provide added protection. This study is trying to find out which vaccines against COVID-19 are most effective as a booster vaccination, depending on which vaccine was used to provide the initial prime-boost course. The study team will be enrolling men and women over the age of 30 who received their initial prime-boost course of vaccination against COVID-19 in December 2020 or January 2021.

Am I suitable to take part? 
Adults that are aged 30 and over who received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination in either December 2020 or January 2021 and who are 84 days post second vaccination are able to take part (due to the NHS deployment timelines, some sites may need to invite people who have been prime-boosted with their second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine with a minimum of 70 days from their second dose). In order to be enrolled in the trial:

- You must be willing to tell the trial staff about your medical history, and you may be asked to allow the trial staff to check this with your General Practitioner (GP). Bear in mind that the study team would also notify your GP if you joined the trial (even if the study team did not need to check your medical history with them in advance).
- If you are able to become pregnant you must be willing to practice continuous effective contraception during the first 3 months of the trial and have negative pregnancy tests on the days of vaccination
- You must agree not to donate blood during the trial

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our website: www.covboost.org.uk/ where you can also complete the pre-screening questionnaire to see if you will be eligible.

The Valneva Phase 3 study is researching whether the Valneva Vaccine VLA2001 induces more neutralizing antibodies against COVID-19 than the AstraZeneca vaccine and that it is safe and well tolerated. The study team are looking for volunteers who are 18 years of age and older, who are generally healthy and have not received a previous vaccine intended to prevent COVID-19. There are up to 8 study visits over a 1 year period and the study will take place across several locations in the UK.

When will this study contact me?

Contact from this study was approved to start from 21st April 2021. You will be contacted if you fit the criteria the study requires and if you are within easy reach of one of the research sites who are conducting the study.

What email address will be used to contact me about this?

You will receive an email notification from [ccsm@nhsdigital.nhs.uk]. If you are interested in the study and complete the pre-screening questionnaire, then the study team may contact you directly from a different email address – this will be an ac.uk, nhs.uk, nhs.net, nihr.ac.uk or panthera-bio.com email address. You may also be contacted via phone on the number you provided.

The study team are looking for volunteers to take part in a study looking at what happens in the immune system when a second (boost) dose of COVID-19 vaccine is a different type to the first. The study team are looking for people who have already had their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine through the NHS vaccine roll out programme. This is being run by the NIHR, and the Oxford Vaccine Group, which is part of the University of Oxford.

If you are aged 50 years and over, and have received only one dose of COVID-19 vaccine from the NHS vaccine programme so far, then you may be eligible to take part in the study. The study team will provide reimbursement up to for your time, inconvenience and travel. The total study participation time is up to 10 months.

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit the study website, where you can access the Study Information Booklet (PDF).

The Medicago Phase 3 Vaccine Study is now recruiting. This clinical trial aims to test a potential COVID-19 vaccine produced in a form of Coronavirus-like particles (CoVLPs). These CoVLPs are proteins produced by plants that mimic the shape and dimensions of the real virus but cannot cause the disease because they do not have any genetic material.

This large study will determine how effective and safe the Medicago COVID-19 vaccine is at potentially protecting people from COVID-19. The study team will measure potential protection by taking blood samples to collect information on your immune response.

This is a potential vaccine and it may not work at all. Even if the vaccine does work, the study team cannot guarantee you will not get COVID-19.

This study will aim to recruit around 30,000 people in the UK (1,500 people in the UK), North America, Europe and Latin America using a cross-over design which means that each participant will receive both the study vaccine and a placebo during the course of the study. This means that in the first part of the trial even though you have been enrolled you could receive a “dummy” vaccine, meaning you are as likely to be infected with COVID-19 as you were before enrolling in the trial.

You may be eligible to participate if you are 18 years old or over and in good general health. Your participation could involve up to 10 visits during a maximum of 26 month total time period at one of our multiple research sites across the UK.

If you are interested in the study, the study team can discuss with you how to manage a future situation where you have been invited for an NHS approved vaccine; there is no obligation to remain in this study.

When will this study contact me?
Contact from this study was approved to start from (14/04/2021). You will be contacted if you fit the volunteer criteria the study team is currently looking for, and if you live in one of the locations where investigators are currently recruiting for this study.

What email address will be used to contact me about this?
You will receive an email notification from Medicago Vaccine Study (ccsm@nhsdigital.nhs.uk). If you decide you are interested in the study and complete the pre-screening, then the study team may contact you directly from a different email address - this will be an ac.uk; nhs.uk; nhs.net; nihr.ac.uk.

The purpose of this study is to test a new vaccine against COVID-19 and the study team are looking for volunteers to take part. If you are aged 18-84 and in good health, you could be eligible to participate. The study involves 6 visits over a period of around 13 months. This study is being conducted across multiple locations in the UK.

When will this study contact me?

Contact from this study was approved to start from 1 October 2020. You will be contacted if you fit the volunteer criteria the study team is currently looking for, and if you live in one of the locations where hospitals are currently looking for volunteers for this study.

What email address will be used to contact me about this?

You will receive an email notification from Novavax Covid 19 Vaccine Study (ccsm@nhsdigital.nhs.uk)If you decide you are interested in the study and complete the pre-screening, then the study team may contact you directly from a different email address - this will be an ac.uk; nhs.uk; nhs.net; nihr.ac.uk.

The COVID-19 Oxford Vaccine Trial aims to find a safe vaccine that can be used to create immune responses against the virus and thus prevent the disease. The study involved healthy volunteers aged 56 years and over who will attend 7 visits over 13 months.  If you volunteered, you will be contacted if you fit the volunteer criteria the study team is currently looking for, and if you live in one of the locations where hospitals are currently looking for volunteers for this study. 

What email address will be used to contact me about this?

You will receive an email notification from oxfordvaccinestudy@nhs.net. If you decide you are interested in the study and complete the pre-screening, then the study team may contact you directly from a different email address - this will be an ac.uk; nhs.uk; nhs.net; nihr.ac.uk.

The PROVENT Study is researching a combination of two investigational monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of COVID-19. The study team are looking for volunteers who are 18 years of age and older and at an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 (due to location, employment, or personal circumstances) to take part. The study involves 8 visits over 1 year and is being conducted at multiple locations in the UK.

When will this study contact me?

Contact from this study was approved to start from 18 December 2020. You will be contacted if you fit the volunteer criteria the study team is currently looking for, and if you live in one of the locations where hospitals are currently looking for volunteers for this study. 

What email address will be used to contact me about this?

You will receive an email notification from the PROVENT COVID-19 Study at ccsm@nhsdigital.nhs.uk. If you decide you are interested in the study and complete the pre-screening, then the study team may contact you directly from a different email address ‒ this will be an ac.uk, nhs.uk, nhs.net, or nihr.ac.uk email address.

A new COVID-19 vaccine study is starting and looking for healthy adult volunteers to participate.  The study is sponsored by Valneva Austria GmbH. The major eligibility criteria are as follows:

-        Between 18 to 55 years of age

-        Generally healthy with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 18-30

The study, VLA2001-201, is testing a new vaccine candidate to prevent COVID-19 across several hospitals in the UK. The study is evaluating the investigational vaccine to confirm that it is safe and tolerable for the users.

If you take part in this study, you will receive the investigational vaccine either in the low, medium or high concentration dose at no costs and you will be compensated for your time.

There will be a screening visit, two vaccination visits, 3 weeks apart and a number of follow-up visits to attend. Study related activities will include physical examination, COVID-19 testing, blood and urine samples. In total, your participation is required for about 7 months.

The study team are recruiting people 50 years of age and over to a study of ‘mixed’ schedules of different COVID-19 vaccines.

There are now a number of vaccines that have been approved to prevent COVID-19 in the UK. These use two-doses, a ‘prime’ first dose, followed by a ‘boost’ second dose some weeks later. The purpose of this trial is to see how well people’s immune systems respond when they are primed with one type of vaccine, then boosted with another and to see how good the response is when the second dose is separated from the first dose by different periods of time.

The trial will take one year to complete per participant (from the time the first dose of vaccine is given).

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit the website: www.comcovstudy.org.uk where you can access the Study Information Booklet.

Janssen is recruiting volunteers for a COVID-19 vaccine study in the UK. The purpose of this clinical study is to determine the efficacy (whether it works) and safety of an investigational vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.

This investigational vaccine is being evaluated in people 18 years of age or older.

For more information visit: https://gb.ensemblestudy.com

When will the study contact me?

Contact for this study was approved to start from November 10th 2020. You will be contacted if you fit the volunteer criteria the study team is currently looking for, and if you live in one of the locations where hospitals are currently looking for volunteers for this study.

What email address will be used to contact me about this?

You will receive an email notification from ccsm@nhsdigital.nhs.uk. If you decide you are interested in the study and complete the pre-screening, then the study team may contact you directly from a different email address - this will be an ac.uk; nhs.uk; nhs.net; nihr.ac.uk.