( Mostly healthy adults )
Vaccine Studies
Vaccines are tested in people who are well, which makes this the area for anyone who wants to help research without having a particular condition.
What studies here look at
Vaccine studies check how well a vaccine prompts the immune system and how people feel in the days after it. Early studies are small; later ones compare a new vaccine with an existing one across many sites.
Some studies follow participants through a whole flu or RSV season to see who becomes ill. Others test a vaccine in a group that needs extra protection, such as older adults or people with a long-term condition.
Who studies often ask for
Every study writes its own requirements, so read this as a picture of who tends to be asked, not a checklist.
- Healthy adults of any age, from their late teens upward
- Adults over 60, who are often needed for flu, RSV and shingles studies
- People with a stable long-term condition such as diabetes
- Pregnant people, for a small number of carefully designed studies
( Taking part )
What a study might ask of you
One or two shots
The vaccine or a comparison, given at the start of the study.
A reaction diary
Noting any soreness, fever or tiredness for about a week.
Blood samples
Taken before and after to measure the immune response.
Season check-ins
Calls or messages asking whether you have been unwell.
Questions worth asking
Take these to your first call with a research team, along with the questions in our guide to screening.
- Could I receive a placebo instead of the vaccine?
- Can I still get my regular flu shot while I am in the study?
- Who do I contact if I feel unwell after the shot?
Hear about studies in this area
Join with Vaccine Studies as your area and your ZIP code, and we will text you when a study near you fits.
Join for this areaSee what is recruiting today
ClinicalTrials.gov is the public U.S. registry of studies. This search lists recruiting studies for vaccines.
Open the registry search