Eligible volunteers will include healthy individuals over the age of 65 years who have not received an influenza vaccine in the past two months. Credit: Mater Misericordiae.

Mater Research in Brisbane, Australia, has commenced a clinical trial for a new combined Covid-19 and flu vaccine from Novavax aimed at providing protection for individuals who are unable to receive mRNA vaccines.

This non-mRNA vaccine is protein-based and includes a segment of the coronavirus spike protein.

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It is designed to trigger an immune response by introducing a harmless piece of the coronavirus spike protein to the immune system.

As the immune cells recognise the spike protein as a foreign invader, they start to build a defence against it.

Eligible volunteers will include healthy individuals over the age of 65 years who have not received an influenza vaccine in the past two months.

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The trial is set to commence on 4 November and will span a three-week period.

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The trial is seeking 150 participants, as confirmed by a representative from Mater Research’s Respiratory, Infectious Disease and Thoracic Oncology (RIO) Unit.

The RIO clinical trial unit at Mater Research is currently managing more than 20 clinical trials focused on respiratory health.

Mater Infectious Diseases Director professor Paul Griffin is the principal investigator of the trial.

In the past year, only 559,000 out of 5.56 million Queenslanders have received a Covid vaccination, while influenza vaccinations have seen a decrease compared with the previous year’s free flu vaccination campaign, with 1.7m vaccinations administered this year, the institute noted.

Professor Griffin said: “We know that the majority of people are currently under-vaccinated against both influenza and Covid-19. We hope that providing people with the option of an approved combination vaccine will help with vaccine uptake as there will be no need for two jabs. 

“We know there are many people who cannot have or do not want to have an mRNA vaccine. Participating in this trial gives people access to a non mRNA option as part of the trial and will provide the data upon which a decision can potentially be made to approve them in the future.”