ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development is participating in a clinical study for an investigational vaccine being developed against influenza and COVID developed by Pfizer, which is funding this research. 

While there are licensed vaccines and treatments for both influenza and COVID, the current vaccines have been given as separate shots.  This study looks at whether both vaccines can be combined into one shot without affecting the antibody response to either vaccine.  

Sarah George, M.D., professor of infectious diseases at SLU School of Medicine and a researcher in SLU’s Vaccine Center, will assist in studying whether the combined vaccine induces the body to make antibodies to both influenza and COVID, compared with giving both vaccines separately.  

“Since it looks like COVID will be with us for the long haul, just as flu is, it’s important to see if we can combine both vaccines into one shot without compromising immunity of both,” George said. “It’s vital that we continue to work to develop combined vaccines that can protect all of us, especially the vulnerable, from these illnesses.”

The phase 3 clinical trial is being conducted at over 200 sites in the United States, including Saint Louis University. SLU researchers are recruiting around 150 healthy adults 18 through 64 years of age who have not had a flu or COVID vaccine in the past 6 months. Overall, the study will recruit 9,000 volunteers and will last about a year.  Each volunteer will have 3 study visits.  

To learn more about vaccine research being conducted at Saint Louis University, call 314-977-6333 or email vaccine@slu.edu. For more information on this study, please visit the ClinicalTrials.gov website link here.