Study suggests vaccine trials should include care homes

Research led by the University of Aberdeen into whether future vaccine trials should be conducted in care homes has suggested it is crucial for residents take part.

It said those residents who were particularly vulnerable to infection due to their age and communal living were usually prioritised in vaccine roll-out programmes.

However, a university research team, which is part of the Moderna-funded Widening Access to Trials in Care Homes (WATCH) consortium, said people who live in care homes were not currently adequately represented in trials.

Public health minister Jenni Minto said it was "vital" that older care home residents were involved in testing vaccines and their voices heard.

The WATCH project was established in the UK as part of an initiative to improve capacity and capability of vaccine trials in wider care settings.

Prof Roy Soiza, honorary chair at the University of Aberdeen and consultant geriatrician at NHS Grampian, said: "As demonstrated during the Covid pandemic, care home residents are often worst affected by infectious diseases.

"Despite this, care home residents are often excluded from trials of medications that are later prescribed to them, including vaccines.

"During the pandemic, not a single care home resident was recruited into trials despite this group being prioritised for vaccination."

Dr Selvarani Subbarayan, researcher at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian, added that although care home residents were prioritised for vaccination their response could be reduced due to frailty, dementia, reduced kidney function, and the nature of communal living.

"Even when vaccines are effective, immune responses in older adults may decline more quickly than in younger populations," she added.

The review covered more than 700 articles and 20 vaccine trials, involving nearly 7,500 people across 238 care homes across the UK.

The public health minister said the Scottish government did not decide who took part in individual trials.

"Our Chief Scientist Office funds NHS Research Scotland's Enabling Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) initiative that supports clinical research studies in Scottish care homes," she said.

"The regulation and licensing of medicines is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and a continuous assessment of vaccine safety is undertaken on all products on the basis of emerging evidence and data.

"Covid vaccines were extensively tested, including on the older age group, and countless lives saved in care homes through their use."