‘Oku taupotu ‘i lalo ha fakamatala fakaTonga
Scientists in New Zealand are running a trial of a combined vaccine for both flu and Covid-19.
The Wellington P3 Research experts believes the combined vaccine will reduce the workload for healthcare services.
The company was looking for people aged between 50 and 80 years old to take part in the clinical trial, which is investigating whether the single vaccine can effectively prevent both illnesses.
The company conducted research on behalf of a range of pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and AstraZeneca – two major Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers.
Covid-19 and influenza were among the more common viruses leading to severe illness and hospitalisation in older adults, P3 Research said, and currently individual vaccinations provided the best protection against each disease.
As well as the age requirement, it was looking for participants who were in good health, and were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 (with or without the booster).
They must not have had a Covid-19 infection in the last two months.
The study would require willing participants to receive a vaccination and then attend follow-up appointments for six months.
The new research in New Zealand came after scientists in the US were working on a shot that could protect against Covid-19, its variants, certain seasonal colds — and the next coronavirus pandemic.
The US researchers were starting to develop prototypes of a so-called pancoronavirus vaccine, with some promising, if early, results from experiments on animals. Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, thinks scientists should join together in another large-scale vaccine-creation project immediately.
“We have to get a real work force to accelerate this, so we can have it this year,” he said. Dr. Topol and Dennis Burton, a Scripps immunologist, called for this project on broad coronavirus vaccines on Monday in the journal Nature.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kamata ‘a hono tesi’i ‘i Nu’u Sila ha faito’o huhu malu’i e lava ke fakataha’i pe ai ‘a e faito’o ki he Koviti’ mo e Fuluu’.
Ko e ngāue’ ni ‘oku fakahoko ‘e he kau mataotao mei he kautaha Wellinton P3 Research ‘a ia ‘oku nau tui ‘e ma’ama’a ange heni ‘a e ngāue’.
‘Oku fai ‘a e fakatotolo’ ni fakafofonga’i ai ‘a e ngaahi kautaha ‘oku nau tu’uaki ‘a e faito’o hangē ko e Pfizer mo e AstraZeneca – ‘a ia ko e ongo kautaha lalahi ia ‘oku na fa’u ‘a e huhu malu’i Koviti’.
Ko e kakai ko ‘eni ‘oku tesi’i ai ‘a e faito’o ko eni ko e kakai pe ‘oku nau mo’ui lelei, ‘osi huhu malu’i kakato mei he Koviti ‘o tatau pe pe kuo nau ‘osi hoani pe ‘ikai.
Ko e hu mai ‘eni ‘a e huhu malu’i’ ni hili ia ha ngaue ‘a e kau saienisi ‘Amelika’ ki ha huhu malu’i te ne lava malu’i ‘a e Koviti, hono ngaahi fōtunga kehe, ngaahi mahaki pau ‘o e fa’ahita’u Momoko pea mo e vailasi kolona.
Na’e fa’u au ‘e he kau fakatotolo ‘Amelika ha polototaipe ‘a ia ko e vekisini ne sai ‘aupito ia ‘a ia ko e ola ia ‘o ha ‘ahi’ahi ‘i he monumanu’.
