Participants will be to be 18 and over and the study will occur over 18 months. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

First Nations

LLRIB members to be recruited for COVID-19 vaccine study

Dec 8, 2021 | 4:53 PM

Recruitment for local participants to join a study to understand the immune response and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine in First Nations people will begin in the next few days to a week.

That’s according to lead investigator Dr. James Irvine who will be working with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) on a study called COVID CommUNITY-First Nations. Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario and Wendake in Quebec will also be involved in partnership with McMaster University, the University of Saskatchewan and Université Laval.

Participants, who must be 18 or older, will be asked to complete a questionnaire and submit dried blood spots for assessment of antibodies for COVID-19. They will also be paid to take part.

“The first time is a series of questionnaires asking people about their previous experience with COVID, their previous experience of vaccination, troubles or side effects, other health conditions that might make them at risk for COVID infection or the immunity not being quite as strong,” Irvine said. “They’ll be asked to give a blood spot. A small drop of blood would come from the fingertip just like when someone gets a diabetes test at home.”

After six months, the same process will be repeated to determine how the antibody response is being maintained.

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In total, 1,000 First Nations participants will be recruited as that segment of the population has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and have worse outcomes from COVID-19 infection compared to other groups.

“We will be able to look at it like how does the immune response differ for different age groups, Elders versus middle-aged people, how does it change over time, are there certain health conditions that might make antibody response not as strong or are there other factors like overcrowding or things that could make people more vulnerable,” Irvine said.

LLRIB Chief Tammy Cook-Searson explained the band’s health service department will be involved in the study, noting it will be interesting to find out what the results will be. She said the new study builds on an earlier one developed through the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds.

“The focus is on gathering specific information for First Nations to support the ongoing evidence-based prevention and support programs for community members,” Cook-Searson said.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno