NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre

Enabling translational research through partnership

MENUMENU
  • About
    • About the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
    • NIHR Oxford BRC impact
    • Steering Committee
    • Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in research
    • Current Vacancies
    • Stay in Touch
    • Contact Us
  • Research

        • Research Overview
        • Clinical Research Facility
        • Health Economics
        • Ethics in the NIHR Oxford BRC
        • Medical Statistics
        • Infections in Oxfordshire Database (IORD)
        • 15 Research Themes

        • Cancer
        • Cardiovascular Medicine
        • Digital Health from Hospital to Home
        • Gene and Cell Therapy
        • Genomic Medicine
        • Imaging
        • Inflammation across Tissues
        • Life-saving Vaccines
        • Metabolic Experimental Medicine
        • Modernising Medical Microbiology and Big Infection Diagnostics
        • Musculoskeletal
        • Preventive Neurology
        • Respiratory Medicine
        • Surgical Innovation, Technology and Evaluation
        • Translational Data Science
  • Patient and Public Involvement
    • For patients and the public
    • For researchers
    • More information
  • Training Hub
    • Training Hub Overview
    • Clinical Academic Pathway
    • Internships
    • Pre-doctoral Research Fellowships
    • Senior Research Fellowships
    • Research Training Bursaries
    • Doctoral Awards
    • Post-Doctoral Awards
    • PARC Programme
    • Other funding
    • Leadership Training
    • Useful Links
    • Training and Education Resources
    • Upcoming Training Events & Courses
  • Industry
    • Collaborate with Oxford BRC
    • Who Do We Work With?
    • Events
    • Further Information and Additional Resources
    • Contacts for Industry
  • Videos
  • News
  • Events

News

You are here: Home > Life-saving Vaccines > First trial for childhood illness vaccine

First trial for childhood illness vaccine

12 August 2015 · Listed under Life-saving Vaccines

Oxford University researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre have successfully completed the first human trial of a vaccine for a common virus that is particularly dangerous to infants.

After fifty years of failed attempts around the world, a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a major cause of respiratory disease, may now be within sight.

The vaccine was conceived and initially tested in animals by a team of scientists at Italian biotechnology firm Okairos (now Reithera Srl), working with the UK’s Pirbright Institute. Their results are published in journal Science Translational Medicine.

RSV kills around 200,000 people worldwide each year. Both the elderly and infants are especially vulnerable to developing severe disease with RSV.

Two-thirds of babies are infected with RSV before their first birthday and in winter the virus causes annual epidemics resulting in up to 15 out of every 100 admissions to children’s wards. In the world’s poorer areas, RSV is second only to malaria as a killer of children aged under 12 months.

Oxford University’s Professor Andrew Pollard leads the Oxford Vaccine Group, which led the clinical trial of the vaccine. He said: “RSV causes a lot of emergency admissions, especially in babies, and there is currently no way to prevent it. That means it is a priority for vaccine development.”

Dr Christopher Green, the lead physician for the trial, added: “The results of this trial are a positive signal that prevention of RSV is achievable and follows years of RSV vaccine research at Oxford University and by vaccine manufacturers. The important results of this trial should be dedicated to the members of the public who were willing to be the first to receive the vaccines.”

The Oxford Vaccine Group, working with Reithera Srl, developed what is known as a ‘prime-boost viral-vectored’ RSV vaccine. The vaccine has two components: the first vaccine primes the immune system, while the second vaccine boosts it. Each component was created by modifying other viruses to carry proteins from RSV. These viral vectors are adapted so that the carrier virus (the vector) cannot replicate to cause disease, and the RSV element, while it triggers an immune response, cannot cause an RSV infection either.

The vectors were a chimpanzee adenovirus called PanAd3, never used in humans before, and a pox virus called modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA). Similar chimpanzee adenovirus vectors and MVA had already been tested as other viral vectored vaccines for other infectious diseases, including the new Ebola vaccines, and have been found to be safe.

This initial trial checked whether the vaccine was safe and immunogenic – whether it caused an immune response. Forty-two healthy adult volunteers received the two components with varying intervals between each element. While the boost component was given as an injection, half of the volunteers received the prime element as an injection and half as a nasal spray.

Professor Pollard said: “Both components of the vaccine were found to be safe and to create an immune response.

“While I am delighted with these results, this was just a first trial. We need this vaccine for children and the elderly and that is where the efforts in vaccine development will now focus.”

← Oxford Ebola vaccine study moves to next phase
Volunteers sought for childhood infection vaccine study →

Other news

News Categories

News by Month

See all news

Subscribe to the Oxford BRC Newsletter

Keep informed about the work of the Oxford BRC by subscribing to our Mailchimp e-newsletter. It is produced several times a year and delivers news and information about upcoming events straight to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Feedback

We’d love to hear your feedback. Please contact us at [email protected]

Oxford BRC on Social Media

  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Data Control and Privacy
  • Accessibility
  • Our Partners
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre