Health chiefs are seeking volunteers for a world-first clinical trial to establish whether a booster vaccine dose could protect people against Covid-19 and its variants.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), which covers Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, is the only area in Scotland taking part in the trial.

It aims to recruit 185 volunteers, aged 30 or older, with the first booster jabs to be given early next month.

Scientists want people who received their first dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca jab in December or January to sign up.

The trial will look at seven Covid-19 vaccines as potential boosters, given at least 10 to 12 weeks after a second dose as part of the ongoing vaccination programme.

Professor Julie Brittenden, NHSGGC director of research and innovation, said: “Vaccines are an incredibly important tool for our fight against Covid-19.

“With this study, we are supporting further research into the effectiveness of booster vaccines and hope our community will continue to support this vital research.

“Those wishing to take part should sign up to the NHS Covid-19 Vaccine Research Registry and we expect to welcome first patients on to the study in June.”

Experts believe all seven vaccines will boost immunity and lab studies will check their response to variants circulating in the UK, including those from India, Kent and South Africa.

The £19million clinical trial will test jabs from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva, CureVac and Janssen.

In total, 2,886 people are being recruited at 18 NHS sites across the UK.

All of the information will be fed to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) at the end of August or early September.

The JCVI will then guide the UK Government on whether people should be boosted with a third dose and which vaccines should be used, depending on supply.

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