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Oklahoma hosts trial of extra COVID-19 vaccine dose for people with weakened immunity

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A nationwide COVID-19 vaccine trial is headed to Oklahoma.

The National Institute of Health has named the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) a lead site for a COVID-19 vaccine trial called Covid‐19 Booster Vaccine in Autoimmune Disease Non‐Responders.

The foundation issued a press release this week, stating the trial will focus on immunocompromised patients whose bodies didn’t respond as well to the first round of vaccines.

"We're concerned about people with autoimmune conditions because they are more likely to have breakthrough episodes of COVID even when fully vaccinated due to an inadequate antibody response to their original vaccine regimen," said OMRF Vice President of Clinical Affairs and Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program Chair Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., who is one of the study’s lead investigators.

The study will enroll about 600 volunteers to look at how effective boosters are in people with several autoimmune diseases whose bodies didn’t develop sufficient antibodies after vaccination.

The initial autoimmune diseases studied will be multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, pemphigus, systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

More information on the study and can be found here, and those interested in volunteering for the trial can call OMRF at 405-271-7745.

Catherine Sweeney was StateImpact Oklahoma's health reporter from 2020 to 2023.
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