ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is participating in a new clinical trial that will mix-and-match different COVID-19 vaccines.

According to URMC, as of now, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines appear to be very effective against most of the identified variants of COVID-19. “However, it is possible that variants could emerge that render existing vaccines less effective or potentially even evade the protection provided by vaccines altogether, necessitating new versions of the vaccine,” officials wrote in a statement

The new phase 1/2 clinical trial, which is being funded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will recruit two groups of volunteers:

• Individuals 18 years or older who have not yet been vaccinated
• Individuals 18 years or older who have completed their initial vaccination within the last 12-20 weeks.

Unvaccinated participants will receive the Moderna vaccine and then a booster dose of either the same vaccine or a Moderna variant vaccine 12 weeks later. Volunteers who have already been vaccinated with the either the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines will receive a booster dose of the Moderna vaccine.

The study seeks to enroll 500 participants in the U.S., including approximately 50 local volunteers.

“One of the key scientific question we are trying to answer is whether vaccines that use different platforms – such as mRNA, adenovirus, and protein-based – can sufficiently strengthen the original immune response generated by a different vaccine technology,” Angela Branche, M.D., co-director of the URMC Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit said in a statement.

“If we can show that the immune response to COVID and variants can been prolonged by booster doses, regardless of the manufacturer, then that will inform vaccination plans in future years.”

For more information about the study, visit: Bring Roc Back or call (585) 273-3990.