COVID-19 prevention in jails and prisons

Identifying and evaluating prevention strategies for COVID-19 in correctional facilities

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · NIH-11182643

This project looks at how testing and vaccination, alone and together, can lower COVID-19 among people living and working in jails and prisons.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorBOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS (nih funded)
Locations1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11182643 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

The team will use data from jails and prisons to build a person-level transmission model of SARS-CoV-2. They will simulate different combinations of testing schedules, vaccination efforts, and other prevention measures under changing virus variants. Advanced causal inference methods will be used to estimate how those combinations affect infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Findings will be shared to help correctional departments make better prevention policies.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People who are incarcerated in jails or prisons and correctional staff in participating U.S. facilities would be the groups most directly relevant to this project.

Not a fit: People living outside correctional settings or those seeking direct clinical treatment for non-COVID conditions would not likely benefit directly from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help jails and prisons choose prevention strategies that reduce COVID-19 cases, severe illness, and deaths among incarcerated people and staff.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown that vaccination and testing can reduce COVID-19 spread when used separately, but combining multiple strategies across changing variants is less well tested.

Where this research is happening

BOSTON, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Airway infections

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.