COVAR study
COVID-19 VAccine Research: A community-based longitudinal observational cohort study on the immunogenicity and duration of vaccine-induced immune responses to different COVID-19 vaccines
Study Introduction
This is a large-scale community-based research study on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in Hong Kong organized by the School of Public Health, the University of Hong Kong. We will track individuals who have received any COVID-19 vaccine for a period of 3 years (2021 – 2024), to comprehensively monitor the immediate reactions, immune protection, respiratory virus infections and other health conditions after COVID-19 vaccination.
研究簡介
這是一項在香港本地進行的有關2019冠狀病毒病（COVID-19）疫苗效用的大型社區研究計劃，由香港大學公共衞生學院主辦，追踪COVID-19疫苗接種者為期3年 (2021 – 2024年)，以全面監測接種COVID-19疫苗後的短期反應、免疫保護、呼吸道病毒感染及其他健康狀況。
Enrolment EligibilityYou are eligible to join the study if you meet the following requirements:
- Individual aged 18 years old or above;
- Are eligible to receive/ planned to receive any COVID-19 vaccine under the Hong Kong government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program;
- Willing to provide blood samples (if applicable) before receiving each dose of vaccination, as well as at least one month and one year afterwards; and
- Willing to provide your phone number for communication purpose.
參加資格若您符合以下納入條件，便符合資格參與本研究：
- 18歲或以上人士；
- 合資格及有意接種由香港政府2019冠狀病毒病疫苗接種計劃所提供的任何COVID-19疫苗；
- 願意在（如適用）接種每劑COVID-19疫苗前、和至少在其一個月及一年後提供血液樣本；及
- 願意提供電話號碼作聯繫用途。
ImportanceCOVID-19 is caused by the infection of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which has caused millions of deaths and major economic impacts worldwide since the beginning of 2020. Since 2021, different countries or regions around the world including Hong Kong has been offering free COVID-19 vaccination to the public with different types of COVID-19 vaccines. Due to differences in vaccine design and composition, these different COVID-19 vaccines could be different in terms of the ability to stimulate different branches of immune responses, to reduce disease severity or contagiousness after infection, the duration of immune protection and the protection against mutated strains. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conduct this research to help scientists develop better COVID-19 vaccines, to determine the level of community vaccination coverage needed and the need of repeated vaccination.
This study is financially supported by the Food and Health Bureau of Hong Kong and has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Hong Kong/ Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster (UW21-336).
重要性COVID-19由感染SARS-CoV-2冠狀病毒（新冠病毒）所引起，自2020年初起已於全球造成數百萬的死亡和重大的經濟影響。世界各地包括香港於2021年起為大眾免費接種不同種類的COVID-19疫苗。基於不同設計及成分，這些不同種類的COVID-19疫苗對刺激不同免疫系統反應的能力、感染新冠病毒後疾病嚴重性或傳染性、免疫保護的持久性及對變種病毒的保護性也可能各有不同。因此，我們有迫切需要進行是項研究，幫助科學家研發更好的COVID-19疫苗，判定所需社區疫苗接種率﹐及評估重複接種疫苗的需要。
本研究由香港食物及衞生局提供資金支持，並已獲得香港大學及醫管局港島西醫院聯網研究倫理委員會的審批（UW21-336）。
Procedure計劃流程
Research personnel conduct initial screening on enrolment eligibility
Research personnel arrange a face-to-face interview with you for further assessment
During the interview, research personnel explain the details of the study to you and confirm your participation
During the study period, regular follow-up activities include questionnaires, blood collection and (if applicable) respiratory sample collection
No cost will be incurred for joining this study. To appreciate your support for our study, you will receive supermarket coupon during each regular follow-up for sample collection. In addition throughout the study, we may occasionally send you the results of your laboratory testing or the study findings of the cohort as a whole.
參與此研究費用全免。為答謝參加者對本研究的支持，參加者在每次定期跟進提供樣本後會獲贈超級市場禮券。另外於研究期間，研究團隊亦會不時向參加者發報其個人的檢測報告或本研究的整體研究結果。
How to Join?
- Click “Join Now” to complete a simple registration form online
- (Due to popular demand, we aim to complete initial screening on enrolment eligibility and get back to you within two weeks after registration)
- Site for research study:
- Epi Research Site, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong (Map)
- Address: Room 807, Hong Kong Plaza, 188 Connaught Road West, Sai Wan (MTR HKU Station, Exit B2)
- Vaccine provided: - (For research activities only)
- Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Sports Centre (Map)
- Address: G/F, 18 Eastern Street North, Sai Ying Pun (Exit A2 MTR Sai Ying Pun Station)
- Vaccine provided: BioNTech
- Epi Research Site, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong (Map)
報名方法
Contact the research team!
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covar@hku.hk | ||
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+852 9848 3299 or +852 9130 4428 |
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Office hours: Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm (except public holidays) | ||
聯絡研究團隊 |
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covar@hku.hk | ||
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+852 9848 3299 或 +852 9130 4428 |
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辦公時間：星期一至五，上午十時至下午五時（公眾假期除外） | ||
About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
The recent emergence of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in late 2019 and the subsequent global pandemic has since caused millions of deaths and significant economic impacts globally. COVID-19 is caused by the infection of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus where disease severity varies widely, from asymptomatic infection, mild self-limiting disease with common respiratory symptoms, to severe disease requiring hospitalization that may lead to long-term symptoms or death.
About COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID-19 vaccination could provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe disease after infection, and would also help to reduce community transmission by the accrual of population immunity. Due to different vaccine formulations, different COVID-19 vaccines such as inactivated virus vaccines (e.g. Sinovac, Sinopharm), mRNA vaccines (e.g. BioNTech, Moderna) and non-replicating adenovirus-vector-based vaccines (e.g. Oxford–AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sputnik V) may have different capacities to stimulate different branches of immune responses (e.g. humoral, cell-mediated and innate immunity) and require different vaccination frequencies. Like other vaccines, mild allergic reactions (side effects) such as mild fever, swelling or pain at injection site, or, in rare cases severe allergic reactions, may occur after COVID-19 vaccination.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, please visit the official website of the Hong Kong government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.
Our team at the School of Public Health, the University of Hong Kong are experts in infectious disease epidemiology. This study is led by Dr. Nancy Leung and Prof. Benjamin Cowling.
The School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong (HKUSPH) has a long and distinguished history in public health education and high impact research. With world leading research in infectious diseases as well as on non-communicable diseases of both local and global importance, we have made significant contributions through its research and advocacy to improve the health of populations and individuals, both locally and globally. The School is a leading research and teaching hub in public health on influenza and other emerging viruses, control of non-communicable and infectious diseases, tobacco control, air pollution, psycho-oncology, behavioural sciences, exercise science, life-course epidemiology, and health economics, health services planning and management. Work done by us has informed international (e.g. the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization), national and local public health policies.
The School of Public Health hosts the WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC) for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control. With a view to protecting the public's health in Hong Kong and across the region, the WHO CC aims to coordinating research on the control and prevention of infectious diseases and providing local and regional education and training in infectious disease epidemiology and control. Members of the WHO CC are involved in the response to COVID-19 and conducted a range of scientific research projects. The team has created a website (click here to visit) to share the latest scientific findings and the implications for evidence-based public health policies on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
有關2019冠狀病毒病（COVID-19）
在2019年底初發的2019冠狀病毒病（COVID-19）及其後的全球大流行，至2020年底時已於全球造成數百萬的死亡和重大的經濟影響。COVID-19由感染SARS-CoV-2冠狀病毒（新冠病毒）所引起，感染後病情嚴重性可以從無症狀，出現常見呼吸道症狀但能很快復原﹐或出現嚴重症狀以致需要住院、導致長期後遺症或死亡。
有關COVID-19疫苗
接種COVID-19疫苗可預防感染新冠病毒或減低出現嚴重疾病的機會，更可通過增加群體免疫力來幫助減少社區傳播。不同COVID-19疫苗種類包括滅活疫苗（如科興、國藥）、mRNA疫苗（如復必泰、莫德納）、病毒載體疫苗（如牛津－阿斯利康疫苗、強生疫苗、俄羅斯衛星五號），這些不同的製造方法會影響不同免疫機制的反應（如抗體免疫、細胞免疫、先天免疫），及影響所需接種頻率。如其他疫苗一樣，接種COVID-19疫苗後可能出現輕微過敏反應（副作用）如輕微發燒、接種部位紅腫或疼痛，或在罕見的情況下出現嚴重過敏反應。
更多有關COVID-19疫苗的資料可瀏覽香港政府2019冠狀病毒病疫苗接種計劃網頁。
我們的研究團隊是來自香港大學公共衞生學院的傳染病流行病學專家。本研究由梁曉灡博士及高本恩教授籌辦。
香港大學醫學院公共衞生學院乃頂尖的科研和教學中心，在公共衞生教育及科研方面有多年經驗，成就卓越。我們有關傳染病及非傳染性疾病的研究工作在國際間舉足輕重，對改善本地和全球個人及人口健康有非常重大的貢獻，對教育工作亦不遺餘力。當中包括對傳染病如流行性感冒及其他新發傳染病病毒的教學及研究，亦致力於非傳染性疾病的控制、控煙、空氣污染、心理腫瘤學、行為科學、運動科學、生命歷程流行病學、醫療經濟效益、醫療服務規劃及管理等有關的研究工作。當中不少研究獲本地、國內以至國際組織（如世界衞生組織和聯合國糧食及農業組織）認同，納入其公共衞生政策當中。
港大公共衞生學院同時亦為世衞傳染病流行病學及控制合作中心（世衞合作中心）。以守護香港以至周邊地區公共健康為願景，世衞合作中心旨在協調傳染病防控有關研究，為本地及區內傳染病流行病學及控制提供教育及培訓。世衞合作中心成員現正致力於2019冠狀病毒病（COVID-19）的應對工作，並開展了多項有關學術研究計劃。研究團隊製作了網上平台（按此瀏覽網站），分享與2019冠狀病毒病相關的最新科學研究成果，以及提供實據作為公共衞生政策的基礎。