Switching of COVID-19 vaccines: A solution for the problems? A multicentre, randomised, single blind, controlled trial among HealthCare Workers (HCW) vaccinated with Janssen: the SWITCH trial.

  • Funded by Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW)
  • Total publications:0 publications

Grant number: 1.04301E+13

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19
  • Start & end year

    2021
    2025
  • Funder

    Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW)
  • Principal Investigator

    dr C. Geurts van Kessel
  • Research Location

    Netherlands
  • Lead Research Institution

    Erasmus Medisch Centrum
  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A
  • Research Category

    Vaccines research, development and implementation

  • Research Subcategory

    Clinical trial (unspecified trial phase)

  • Special Interest Tags

    N/A

  • Study Type

    Clinical

  • Clinical Trial Details

    Randomized Controlled Trial

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Adults (18 and older)

  • Vulnerable Population

    Unspecified

  • Occupations of Interest

    Health Personnel

Abstract

Combining COVID-19 vaccinations could accelerate vaccination campaigns in the future and reduce the impact of supply problems. It could also theoretically elicit a higher (more antibodies) and a broader (against more variants) immune response. Several studies have already been started in Europe to investigate the safety and immune response in combination with AstraZeneca. In consultation with these international studies, the SWITCH study was set up in the Netherlands. This study focuses on administering a second corona vaccination to hospital employees who have previously been vaccinated with Janssen. Objective This study investigates the effect of a second homologous or heterologous corona vaccination after a first Janssen vaccination. In addition, the occurrence of side effects with homologous and heterologous booster vaccination is examined. Study design In this study, employees who have been vaccinated with Janssen will be vaccinated a second time with the Janssen, Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the following groups: 1. No additional vaccination; 2. A second dose with Janssen; 3. A second dose with Pfizer; 4. A second dose with Moderna. Blood is taken at 4 different times: day 0 (before 2nd vaccination), day 28 (primary endpoint), after 6 and 12 months. First results The first results of the SWITCH study have been made public. This publication is a pre-print where peer review is still taking place. The results show that different combinations of booster vaccinations are well tolerated in healthy people and show a clear response. Administering a booster vaccination with an mRNA vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) after a Janssen vaccination shows a higher response compared to administering 1 or 2 Janssen vaccinations. On January 19, 2022, new results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine .