Volunteers wanted for needle-free Covid booster trial at Women’s and Children’s Hospital

A revolutionary vaccine that penetrates the skin with a jet spray instead of a needle is being trialled as a booster in South Australia — and researchers are looking for volunteers to take part.

A cutting-edge vaccine that penetrates the skin with a jet spray instead of a needle is being trialled as a Covid booster in South Australia – and researchers are looking for double-vaccinated volunteers to take part.

The Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital is involved in a study that will examine the COVIGEN vaccine when used as a booster.

Professor Helen Marshall, from the hospital and the University of Adelaide, said the latest round of the COVALIA booster study came after an initial human trial that involved administering the first two doses of the vaccine to 15 people and a placebo to five.

Professor Helen Marshall with the needle-free jet spray vaccination device. Picture: Matt Loxton

She said COVIGEN offered broader protection, and participants reported fewer side effects than those who received other vaccines.

“There’s been no safety concerns about this vaccine,” Prof Marshall said.

“It’s so important that we have different platforms to provide vaccines, and, particularly for this vaccine, we’re really getting to that next generation of vaccines.

“At the moment, we’ve got the vaccines that were produced for the original virus, but this particular DNA and the vaccines that are now being produced should be able to provide broader coverage, so coverage against other strains such as the Beta, the Delta and, hopefully, the ­Omicron.”

The needle-free device is used to inject a small amount of liquid under the skin. Picture: Matt Loxton

Prof Marshall, the 2022 South Australian of the Year, said the trial was an exciting step forward in vaccine technology.

“This vaccine certainly could be a vaccine for booster dosing for the future for Australians,” she said.

International pharmaceutical company BioNet developed the vaccine, which uses similar technology to other genetic vaccines already in use, based on DNA sequences from the SARS-CoV2 virus.

It injects a small amount of liquid under the skin – as opposed to into the muscle – by holding the needle-free device up close.

Findings from the initial trials will play a role in assessing COVIGEN’s use in further trials, before the vaccine can be considered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Researchers in Perth and Sydney are also taking part in the trial, which will involve administering the booster to 50 people and assessing them over the following year.

Participants must be healthy nonsmokers aged 18-75 who have been fully vaccinated with either Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

In order to be eligible, they must have no history of alcohol or drug abuse and cannot be pregnant or breastfeeding. Participants will be required to make six visits to the WCH and receive a phone call.

Daily Covid cases in SA continue to fall, with 1027 recorded on Monday and no deaths – although three deaths in January have been added to the total.

There are 13,426 active cases, 214 infected people in hospital, 18 in intensive care and five on ventilators.

For more information or to register for the trial, email [e-mail].

Originally published as Volunteers wanted for needle-free Covid booster trial at Women’s and Children’s Hospital