Provision of Testing Services and Sample Analysis as part of the National Immunisation Programme

PHE has been tasked by DHSC to urgently undertake a study to evaluate the immune response following COVID-19 vaccines as part of the National Immunisation Programme. This has been identified as a high national public health priority and a key aspect of this study requires taking 2000 samples for cellular work over a 24-month period. The UK Vaccines Taskforce have selected Oxford Immunotec as the sole supplier of T cell Testing for SARS-CoV-2 specific responses as part of the new COVID vaccine trials. Aligning PHE's study with this decision will ensure that it is consistent with the other vaccine studies performed within the UK, providing for comprehensive comparison and analysis to be carried out across all the different studies.