UW Medicine to co-lead COVID-19 vaccine study

The University of Washington School of Medicine, along with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, will lead a study on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The study is now underway. Researchers are looking for close to 3,500 children and adults to participate in the four year study. During that span, both vaccinated and unvaccinated participants will be followed for any COVID-19 infection, COVID-like illness or other respiratory infections like the flu. Dr. Helen Chu is an associate professor of medicine, who will help co-lead the study. She says one of its primary goals is to see how effective the vaccine is for children between the ages of 5 and 18. She says this study will show vital information in the continued fight against the virus.

“And then new variants are going to continue to arrive. And we are going to see how these vaccines perform,” Chu said.

“And also look at the effects of repeated vaccination and booster vaccines. To understand how long your immunity lasts and whether or not that is different over time and across the age span in children and adults.” Chu said.

During this time, Chu says people will be tested weekly for the virus with at home PCR tests. Children will have the test conducted by their parents and adults will perform the test on their own. According to a news release by UW Medicine, participants will complete weekly symptom surveys either online or over the phone. Vaccinations will not be given through the study.

“COVID is not going away. It’s going to be around for a good long time,” Chu said.

KIRO7 asked Chu if she believes the study could convince the unvaccinated to get the shot. She says she isn’t sure if it will, but thinks the study will provide plenty of real data going forward.

“I’m not sure this is going to be the study that convince a parent whose not going to vaccinate their child to vaccinate their child, but it will provide real world information about how the vaccines are performing,” Chu said.

“It will help us understand questions about long COVID, about all of these other things,” Chu said.

The study is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To sign up to participate, click here.

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