Government hopes to speed up efforts to discover a safe and effective vaccine
The government is urging more people to volunteer for Covid-19 vaccine trials after more than 100,000 signed up to take part.
In a statement published on 17 August, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it hoped to get as many people as possible signed up to the NHS Covid-19 Research Registry by October.
Launched on 20 July, the registry is an online service allowing members of the public to express their interest in taking part in Covid-19 vaccine studies such as clinical trials.
It is hoped that the latest recruitment drive will enable large-scale vaccine studies to take place across the UK.
BEIS said it particularly welcomed volunteers from “all parts of society, especially those who are more likely to benefit from a vaccine, including the over-65s, frontline health and social care workers, and those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds”.
“Scientists and researchers are working day and night to find a vaccine that meets the UK’s rigorous regulatory and safety standards, but they need hundreds of thousands of people of all backgrounds and ages to sign up for studies to speed up this vital research,” said business secretary Alok Sharma.
“I urge everyone to play our part in the fight against coronavirus and join the 100,000 people who have already registered, so we can help save and protect millions of lives.”