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COVID-19 vaccines given as fourth doses in the UK offer excellent boosting immunity protection, according to the latest results from a nationwide NIHR-supported study.

Bottles of Covid-19 Vaccine

The latest results  from the COV-BOOST trial, ran at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust show that a fourth dose mRNA vaccine is safe and boosts antibody levels - higher than that of a third dose.

Researchers have published their findings today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been offered as a spring booster for those most vulnerable in the UK. This has been a precautionary strategy to maintain high levels of immunity prior to the study data being available. A wider group of people may be offered a fourth dose booster later this year.

The latest findings show that fourth dose mRNA booster vaccines for COVID-19 are well-tolerated in people who received Pfizer as a third dose. They are also effective at increasing both antibody and cellular immunity up to and above baseline and peak levels observed following third dose boosters.

Read the full story on the Department of Paediatrics website.