The Oxford Vaccine Group, part of the University of Oxford, would like to invite you and your child to take part in a study to understand how well pertussis (whooping cough) vaccines work and the effect of vaccinating mothers.
Why are we doing this study?
- To understand how the infant immune system, the system that protects us against infections, responds after the administration of either a whole cell (wP) or acellular (aP) pertussis vaccine.
- To understand the genes that are involved in this response to either of the vaccines (genes act as a set of instructions that are transferred from parents to their children which then determine the child’s characteristics and immune responses of infants)
What happens in this study?
- We are looking to enrol 114 healthy babies aged 8-10 weeks who were born at least 37 weeks gestational age
- These children will be split into two groups and receive either an acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine or a whole cell pertussis (wP) vaccine alongside their other routine vaccinations.
- There are 7 visits over a 12 month period with 4 blood samples taken throughout the study
- We would use local anaesthetic cream on the skin to reduce any discomfort from the blood sampling
- We will also collect samples of nasal secretions using small paper swabs during the study
- All study visits would take place at your home at a time that is convenient to you
- You would have 24 hour telephone access to a paediatrician should you have any concerns following immunisation
Taking part in this research study is completely voluntary.
If you and your child are interested in participating in the study, please read the Study Information Booklet and complete the below registration form. A member of the study team will then contact you to discuss the study further and if appropriate arrange an initial appointment.
If you would like any further information please contact us on: Telephone 01865 611400 or Email info@ovg.ox.ac.uk