RATIONALE-15: Carriage to assess protection of new pneumococcal vaccines – PCV15

The Oxford Vaccine Group, which is part of the University of Oxford, would like to invite you to take part in the RATIONALE-15 study

In this study we want to investigate if using a vaccine called PCV15 will help protect participants from a common respiratory bacteria called pneumococcus. We want to better understand how the immune system work with this vaccine. We want to use the information gained to improve current and future pneumococcal vaccines.

If you are 18 to 50 years old and in good health, then you may be eligible to take part. In this study participants will get either the PCV15 vaccine or a placebo, but they won’t know which one they got. 1 month after vaccination, we will deliberately give the participants (‘challenge’) the pneumococcus through drops in the nose. The process is not painful and will not cause any discomfort, it will last around 30 minutes. The study deliberately exposes participants to pneumococcus, because we want to study how the bacteria affect the immune system and how vaccines can protect against the bacteria.

Participants will have up to 9 study visits at the Oxford Vaccine Group, Centre for Clinical Vaccinology & Tropical Medicine (CCVTM), Churchill Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7LE. Blood samples and samples from the nose, mouth and throat will be taken in order to measure the immune response to the vaccine and the challenge. Taking part in this study is voluntary and participants can withdraw at any time. This will not affect participants’ access to medical care or treatment. Participants can expect up to £920 in recognition of their time, travel and inconvenience. 

If you would like to know more, please read the Participant Information Sheet :

If you are interested in participating in this study, please complete the Online Prescreening Questionnaire :

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the study, please contact us by email or phone:

Email: info@ovg.ox.ac.uk

Telephone: 01865 611400