Students urged to sign up for vaccine test

Student volunteers across Sheffield aged between 18 and 24 are being sought for the study, which is part of a nationwide clinical trial.

Meningococcal meningitis is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, which around a quarter or more of young adults carry in their throats.

Students are particularly at risk to becoming infected, due to the close proximity of other students in shared accommodation.

A nationwide research study into how meningitis vaccines tackle these bacteria is looking for first and second year university student volunteers across the country. A total of 3,000 students are to take part in the study with 700 needed from Sheffield.

The national study, which takes in centres in Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Oxford and Southampton as well as Sheffield, is being led by Professor Robert Read, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Sheffield and is supported by the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust.

The clinical study is being conducted through the National Health Service Clinical Research Network and sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics S.r.l. It will be looking at the Meningococcal B (4CMenB) and UK-licensed MenACWY Conjugate (Menveo) vaccines and a control vaccine. Menveo is licensed in the UK and the investigational 4CMenB vaccine has been studied in over 5,000 infants and 1,500 adolescents.

It is already known that when these vaccines are injected into young adults, antibodies are produced in the blood which can protect against meningitis.

However, information is needed to find out whether these vaccines can also act by stopping the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria from colonising the throat.

Professor Read explained that this information is important because it tells researchers to what extent the use of these vaccines will result in "herd immunity" – the process whereby a vaccine works by limiting its spread through a population.

It is hoped that the vaccine could reduce meningitis disease by stopping transmission between the throats of young people.

If so, this information would help public health policy makers to decide how to best use these vaccines to reduce the incidence of meningitis amongst young adults.

Professor Robert Read said: "This is an important study which will help to determine how effective the new MenB vaccine is likely to be in practice. We hope that the MenB vaccine will dramatically reduce the number of people who carry these potentially dangerous bacteria in their throats, and this in turn will almost eradicate this devastating disease."

Volunteers would need to visit the Clinical Research Facility at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital six times over 12 months as part of the study.

Vaccine injections will be administered during the first two visits and for some, at the final visit, and throat swabs will be taken at all

six visits.

The students will be split into three groups which will be given a different variety of the drugs, or a control. Neither the student nor their doctor will know which group they are in.

Using a control vaccine helps the researachers be sure that any effects seen are solely due to the study medication or the approved meningitis vaccination.

Volunteers will receive financial reimbursement for taking part.

For more information on the study, or to sign up, visit www.studentvaccine.co.uk/ or call 0114 2713339.

WARNING SIGNS OF MENINGITIS

One in 10 of us at any time carries the bacteria which cause these diseases and this is usually harmless.

We pass them on by close contact, such as kissing. In a very few people, the bacteria gets into the blood stream and cause meningitis and/or septicaemia.

It is impossible to tell who is at risk – if you think you are suffering some of the symptoms then see your doctor – you could save a life.

Symptoms include: Fever/vomiting, severe headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights, being very sleepy or difficult to wake/confused, a rash, seizures.