It is hoped an effective norovirus vaccine, the first of its kind in the world, will eventually help to alleviate pressure on the NHS, especially during the winter months, when there is often a sharp uptick in cases.
The research project, funded by Moderna, is set to begin its final stages of testing and the vaccine manufacturer will be working with NHS organisations to recruit members of the public to test the new jab over the next year. The jab could be available to the public from 2026 depending on trial results.
The vaccine uses the same mRNA technology used to create Covid-19 jabs to tell the immune system to recognise a “foreign” protein on viruses and mount an attack, in this case targeting three major strains of norovirus. Results so far have shown it creates a “strong immune response”.
Norovirus causes around 12,000 hospital admissions each year, putting immense pressure on the NHS as well as disruption in schools and care homes.
From November 2023 to March 2024, an average of 500 patients a day were admitted to hospitals with vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms and figures for this year show norovirus levels in the community are more than double the five-year average for the season.
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