“Our study will provide crucial data to help us protect people with immune deficiencies against COVID-19,” said Dr. Juthaporn Cowan. “It will also help us learn more about which compartment of the immune system is essential in the COVID-19 vaccine response, so that better vaccines can be developed in future.” People with inherited immune deficiencies have a greater risk of developing severe COVID-19 and may be less likely to respond to vaccines. People with multiple sclerosis, arthritis and other immune-mediated diseases may also be at risk because medications for these conditions often suppress the immune system.
Dr. Juthaporn Cowan, infectious disease physician and associate scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, is leading a national study to investigate how people with these conditions respond to COVID-19 vaccines.
The research team aims to recruit 460 participants with inherited or medication-related immune deficiencies from twelve sites across Canada (in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver). Participants must be at least 12 years old and must be either planning to get vaccinated or already vaccinated (up to 24 weeks post second dose).
The researchers also hope to recruit healthy individuals over 12 who have not yet been vaccinated, but plan to be, as a control group.
The researchers will collect blood samples from the participants to study the body’s response to COVID-19 vaccines, including antibody levels and T cell response. Participants will also fill out questionnaires and be followed by health care professionals to assess any vaccine side effects.
“Our study will provide crucial data to help us protect people with immune deficiencies against COVID-19,” said Dr. Cowan. “It will also help us learn more about which compartment of the immune system is essential in the COVID-19 vaccine response, so that better vaccines can be developed in future.”
The study was awarded $2.5 million from the Government of Canada through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. It is one of four grants awarded to researchers at The Ottawa Hospital to investigate the immune response to COVID-19 and vaccines.
Co-Principal Investigators: Donald C. Vinh, Emilia Liana Falcone, Hugo Chapdelaine
Co-Investigators: C. Arianne Buchan, Anne Pham-Huy, Marc-Andre Langlois, Tim Ramsay, Karina Top, Gina Lacuesta, Lisa Barrett, Beata Derfalvi, Alejandro Palma, Thomas Issekutz, Elie Haddad, Helene Decaluwe, Stephen Betschel, Julia Upton, Karver Zanorniak, Vy Hong-Diep Kim, Tamar Rubin, Lana Rosenfield, Chrystyna Kalicinsky, Colin Barber, Sneha Suresh, Mohammed Osman, Bruce Ritchie, Luis Murguia Favela, Nicola Wright, Manish Sadarangani, Kyla Hildebrand, Persia Poushahnazari, Fabien Touzot
Partner institutions: Canadian Immunodeficiency Patient Organization, Canada Special Immunization Clinic Network, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ottawa Methods Centre, Montreal Clinical Research Institute, University of Montreal, Dalhousie University, CHU Sainte-Justine, St. Michael’s Hospital, SickKids Hospital, University of Manitoba, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of British Columbia
Study website: https://omc.ohri.ca/VISID
About The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals, where excellent care is inspired by research and driven by compassion. As the third-largest employer in Ottawa, our support staff, researchers, nurses, physicians, and volunteers never stop seeking solutions to the most complex health-care challenges. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, attracts some of the most influential scientific minds from around the world. Backed by generous support from the community, we are committed to providing the world-class, compassionate care we would want for our loved ones. www.ohri.ca
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