GA Number: 101037867

Title: VACCELERATE - The  New European Vaccine Research Network

Design: Phase  2 & 3 COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials

Volunteer Registry: VACCELERATE has a created the Volunteer Registry (www.vaccelerate.eu/volunteer-registry), a tool through which it aims to involve the general population by providing direct access to trials on new vaccines for infectious diseases. The Volunteer Registry is available in 22 countries and in several local languages. More countries are joining. More than 100,000 volunteers already registered.

Background: VACCELERATE is a network for pandemic preparedness in Europe, planning and coordinating phase 2 & 3 vaccine trials in all EU-member states and EU-associated countries under one  strategic-scientific umbrella. It serves as a single-entry point for all stakeholders involved in COVID-19 vaccine development (pharma, academia, European Commission, EMA, ECDC, national health authorities and others).

Objective(s):

• To address any research question outside the big registration trials, such as vaccine efficacy in case of virus variants, trials in children, pregnant women and immuno- compromised patients, trials on combination of different vaccines etc.

• Creation of a Stakeholder Working Group (SWG) to facilitate strategic discussions and to identify unanswered public health needs.

• Promotion  of a harmonised  acquisition, open exchange and consolidation of data for enhanced data analysis across trial through  the setting up of volunteer registries.

Additionally, VACCELERATE addresses vaccine hesitancy through systematic reviews of available  information and through specific information material to dispel myths about vaccines and clinical trials.