AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Regional Clinic is enrolling trial participants in an updated booster vaccine trial targeting COVID-19 variants.  

What You Need To Know

  • Austin Regional Clinic is enrolling trial participants in an updated booster vaccine trial targeting COVID-19 variants.

  • Volunteers need to be between the ages of 18 to 85, have not had a COVID vaccine and have no history of COVID-19 infection 

  • ARC Clinical Research is the only site in Central Texas recruiting for the BioNTech trial. To participate in the trial you may call 512-225-5931

"We are hoping to find that we can effectively alter the vaccine to target whatever variant we are working on targeting and that it will have the same impact the Pfizer vaccine had,” Dr. Amy Siegel, internal medicine physician at ARC and principal investigator at ARC Clinical Research, said.  

ARC is one of select sites across the country to participate in a BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine study testing an updated booster. 

"We’re doing a trial for a modified Pfizer vaccine,” Dr. Siegel said. "It’s made by BNT. It’s the company that made the Pfizer vaccine in conjunction with Pfizer and it’s geared towards a couple of variants: Alpha and Delta.” 

Siegel says the omicron variant is not included in this specific study because it’s a new variant that emerged after the study began. Volunteers interested in the trial need to be between the ages of 18 to 85 and who are currently unvaccinated for COVID-19 and have no history of COVID-19 infection. 

According to ARC, the study consists of two parts: studying the safety and efficacy of a multivalent vaccine, the two virus strain,  and monovalent vaccine, the one virus strain, respectively. Trial participants are compensated for their time, but for some they say it’s a chance to make an impact in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“I was super excited to go through the process,” Dr. Sunaina Suhag, a trial participant said.  

Suhag says she participated in phase two of the initial Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.  

“I just remember being really excited to make an impact,” she said.  

Suhag is no stranger to the medical world, as a pediatrician. She admits going to the first trial she did feel some hesitancy but trusted in the process.  

“I think from a side effect, a risk standpoint, we know what the risks are pretty well, at this point,” she said. "It’ll be about what the benefits will be and I think those will be super invaluable to us.” 

ARC Clinical Research is the only site in Central Texas recruiting for the BioNTech trial. To participate in the trial you may call 512-225-5931.