Queensland Government to destroy ‘globally significant’ Covid vaccine study biobank
A ‘globally significant’ bank of biosamples from a study into the immune effects of Covid vaccines is set to be destroyed, two years after the award-winning research project was defunded by the Queensland Government.
Intended “to better understand the short, medium and long-term impacts of COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines in Queensland,” the QoVAX Safety and Efficacy Statewide Study boasted 10,000 adult participants across 86% of postcodes, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, generating over 100,000 biospecimens and 11 million data points.
With its digitally-integrated biobank and linked data repository, the study promised to enable ongoing research addressing epidemiology, genomics, virology, and immunology, as well as unforeseen complications of Covid vaccines, and long Covid outcomes.
Some of state’s most important research bodies partnered on the project, including QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, the University of Queensland (UQ), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), James Cook University and Griffith University.
Data collection began in August 2021, with an initial pilot study reportedly finding that while people in all age ranges had developed antibodies after two doses of Covid vaccination, the response was lower for people aged over 50.
“The study will provide us with a clearer picture about what factors – such as our genetic makeup, lifestyle and general health and wellbeing – influence a person’s vaccine response in this real-world situation,” said QoVAX Director Professor Janet Davies at the outset.
However, less than two years later, in June 2023, the study was defunded with no official explanation, jeopardising several unpublished research papers that were near completion. Professor Davies was removed as project lead, and QoVAX was handed to Queensland’s Metro North Health. Sample collection ceased, data was shelved, and government web pages for the once-hyped initiative were deleted. ..
https://canberradaily.com.au/queensland-government-to-destroy-globally-significant-covid-vaccine-study-biobank/