How well flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory vaccines protect people in a large health system
RFA-IP-22-004, Evaluating respiratory virus vaccine effectiveness in a large, diverse healthcare system
This project measures how well flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory vaccines protect people of different ages who get outpatient care at UPMC and partnering community clinics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136210 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will enroll outpatients who come in with respiratory symptoms during and outside the flu season and compare those who test positive for viruses to those who test negative using a test-negative design. You may be asked to provide a nasal swab and a small bloodspot sample, and to complete follow-up surveys. Selected virus samples will be genetically sequenced to track changing strains over time. The goal is to look at vaccine protection across age groups and over time since vaccination.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people aged 6 months and older who seek outpatient care for acute respiratory illness at UPMC clinics or participating federally qualified health centers in the Pittsburgh area.
Not a fit: People who never seek outpatient care for respiratory symptoms, who are hospitalized, or who do not receive care at participating clinics are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help doctors and public health officials refine vaccine recommendations and timing to better protect different age groups.
How similar studies have performed: Other network-based test-negative studies, including the US Flu VE Network, have successfully produced vaccine effectiveness estimates for influenza and COVID-19, so this is a well-established approach.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zimmerman, Richard K — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Zimmerman, Richard K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.