While both heterologous (mixing) and homologous (matching) vaccine regimens are now considered standard of care, post-vaccination complications and long-term effects of the different vaccination regimens have not been thoroughly studied. There is a pressing need to investigate the longitudinal effects of the mixing and matching vaccine-booster approaches. This study proposes to utilize the existing digital infrastructure of the COVID-19 Citizen Science (CCS) study on the Eureka Research Platform to perform a systematic and prospective randomized trial comparing mixing versus matching approaches. Eligible CCS participants will have the opportunity to be randomly assigned to a recommendation of receiving either the Pfizer or Moderna booster vaccine. Long-term effects will be monitored through the participants' completion of their regular weekly CCS follow-up surveys on symptoms and infection. This randomized trial aims to mitigate the effect of confounding variables and provide more conclusive evidence on each regiment to guide booster recommendations.
The FDA recently approved the use of COVID-19 booster vaccines for both homologous and heterologous vaccine booster regimens, with both regimens considered standard of care. However, there is incomplete research on the long-term effects and immunity offered by each approach. In fact, the FDA has not offered guidance on whether or not to mix or match vaccines because as of yet, there is no evidence indicating that one strategy should be recommended over the other. Studies have shown that vaccine efficacy declines over time, and the Delta and Omicron variants continue to cause breakthrough cases. Additionally, millions of Americans are now becoming eligible for a booster. These factors present both a pressing need and a unique opportunity to investigate the longitudinal effects of the mixing and matching vaccine-booster approaches. This study proposes to fill this critical gap through a systematic and prospective randomized trial utilizing the existing digital infrastructure of the COVID-19 Citizen Science (CCS) study on the Eureka Research Platform. Eligible CCS participants will have the opportunity to be randomly assigned to be encouraged to receive either the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) booster vaccine and will continue to complete their weekly CCS follow up surveys on symptoms and infection. Thus, this study will allow for longitudinal follow up of participants receiving homologous and heterologous vaccine booster regimens. By randomizing participants and analyzing a larger cohort, this study aims to mitigate the effect of confounding variables and provide more conclusive evidence to guide booster recommendations.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
301
Participants assigned to this intervention will be given the recommendation to receive the Moderna vaccine for their Covid-19 booster shot. The study team will not be administering vaccines to the participants; participants must have equal access to both the Pfizer and Moderna booster vaccines to be eligible for this study. According to current FDA recommendations, Moderna booster (0.25 mL) may be administered as a heterologous booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with another authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. The dosing interval for the heterologous booster dose is the same as that authorized for a booster dose of the vaccine used for primary vaccination.
Participants assigned to this intervention will be given the recommendation to receive the Pfizer vaccine for their Covid-19 booster shot. The study team will not be administering vaccines to the participants; participants must have equal access to both the Pfizer and Moderna booster vaccines to be eligible for this study. According to current FDA recommendations, the Pfizer booster (0.30 mL) may be administered as a heterologous booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with another authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. The dosing interval for the heterologous booster dose is the same as that authorized for a booster dose of the vaccine used for primary vaccination.
UCSF Parnassus
San Francisco, California, United States
Post-Vaccine Differences in Types of Symptoms between Pfizer and Moderna
The study will assess differences in types of symptoms participants experience post-vaccination between the randomization groups (Pfizer vs. Moderna). The types of symptoms will be assessed through a questionnaire post-vaccination asking participants if they have any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, sore/scratchy throat, muscle pain, joint pain, headache, other pain, rash, allergic reaction/anaphylaxis.
Time frame: 1 year
Post-Vaccine Differences in Severity of Symptoms between Pfizer and Moderna
The study will assess differences in severity participants experience post-vaccination between the randomization groups (Pfizer vs. Moderna). The severity for each symptom will be assessed through a post-vaccination questionnaire asking participants how many days the participant experienced their symptoms, and how severe their symptoms were on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being mild, 5 being very severe).
Time frame: 1 year
Post-Vaccine Differences in Types of Symptoms between Homologous vs Heterologous Regiments
The study will assess differences in types of symptoms participants experience post-vaccination between people who receive the same type of booster vaccine as their initial series (homologous) and people who receive a different type of booster vaccine than their initial series (heterologous) regiments. The types of symptoms will be assessed through a questionnaire post-vaccination asking participants if they have any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, sore/scratchy throat, muscle pain, joint pain, headache, other pain, rash, allergic reaction/anaphylaxis.
Time frame: 1 year
Post-Vaccine Differences in Severity of Symptoms between Homologous vs Heterologous Regiments
The study will assess differences in severity of symptoms participants experience post-vaccination between people who receive the same type of booster vaccine as their initial series (homologous) and people who receive a different type of booster vaccine than their initial series (heterologous) regiments. The severity of each symptom will be assessed through a post-vaccination questionnaire asking participants how many days the participant experienced their symptoms, and how severe their symptoms were on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being mild, 5 being very severe).
Time frame: 1 year
COVID-19 Infection Rates between Pfizer and Moderna
The study will compare COVID-19 infection rates among those who receive the Moderna booster vs. the Pfizer booster
Time frame: 1 year
COVID-19 Infection Rates between Homologous vs Heterologous Regiments
The study will compare COVID-19 infection rates among those with homologous vs. heterologous vaccine regimens.
Time frame: 1 year
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