Clinical Research Directory

A Study to Learn About the Safety of PENBRAYA During Pregnancy

This study is a pregnancy registry designed to learn more about the safety of the study vaccine PENBRAYA (a vaccine that protects against meningitis causing bacteria) when it is given during pregnancy or within 30 days before the last menstrual period (the first day of your last period). Because this vaccine has not been studied in pregnant individuals, the registry collects information on pregnancy outcomes and infant health during the first year of life. People may join the registry if they: * are pregnant now (or recently pregnant), * are 10 to 25 years old, and * received at least one dose of study vaccine during pregnancy or within 30 days before their last period. The registry collects information from participants and their doctors at different times: * at enrollment, * around 27 weeks of pregnancy, * at the end of pregnancy, and * for infants, at 4 months and 12 months of age. All the information is collected remotely (phone, online forms, email, fax, or mail) by a coordinating center. No new medical tests or office visits are required beyond routine care.

Understanding the Immune Response to Two Different Meningitis Vaccines

The bacterium (germ) Neisseria meningitidis causes meningitis and blood poisoning. N meningitidis is classified into different serogroups (types), based on its outer polysaccharide (carbohydrate) capsule. Serogroups A,B,C,W \& Y are responsible for the vast majority of meningococcal disease worldwide. Older vaccines against types A,C,W \& Y contain part of the polysaccharide capsule of the germ. However, these polysaccharide vaccines do not provide long-term protection against disease and are less effective in young children, the group most at risk of meningococcal disease. Newer "conjugate" ACWY vaccines attach a polysaccharide to a protein carrier - these provoke a good response in young children and can provide long-term protection. White blood cells called B cells produce antibodies, which are the main components of protection against meningococcal disease. Although many studies have investigated the immune response to these vaccines in different age groups by measuring specific antibodies, there is limited information about the B cells underlying such an immune response. Several different subsets (populations) of B cells exist in the blood. Previous studies by the investigators group suggest that different numbers of B cells are produced in response to each vaccine type. However, little is understood about which subset of B cell is important for antibody production in response to these polysaccharide or conjugate vaccines. This study aims to provide detailed information on the immune response to meningococcal vaccines by investigating the appearance of B cells and their subsets in the blood after vaccination with the polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines. These observations will help us understand how polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines stimulate the immune system in different ways. This knowledge will help in the development of new vaccines that are effective across all age groups. The investigators aim to recruit 20 adults aged 30-70 from Oxfordshire. The study will be funded by the Oxford Vaccine Group.