Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, is on the hunt for 1,000 volunteers for a significant vaccine trial. This effort, spearheaded by Pfizer, is aimed at testing a vaccine against Clostridioides difficile, better known as C. diff. This bacteria primarily impacts individuals in healthcare settings.
C. diff commonly strikes people who have recently taken antibiotics, particularly those in hospitals or nursing homes. It causes symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. In severe cases, it can even be fatal. According to the CDC, around 500,000 Americans contract C. diff infections annually, leading to 15,000 to 50,000 deaths each year.
Dr. Stephen Thomas, the lead researcher at Upstate, explains that antibiotics can upset the gut’s balance of good and bad bacteria, allowing C. diff to flourish. “People who need antibiotics for any reason are at the highest risk of C. diff,” he says.
The trial aims to enroll 32,000 participants globally. To be eligible, volunteers must have never had a C. diff infection and meet one of the following criteria:
- Be 65 years or older
- Have received antibiotics in the past three months
- Have been hospitalized at least once or had two emergency room visits in the last year
- Have had 10 or more healthcare visits in the last year
- Be scheduled for hospital admission or elective surgery
For locals interested in learning more, Upstate researchers will host an information session on Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Upstate Institute for Global Health. Their address is 5010 Campuswood Drive, Suite 100, East Syracuse.
Experts note the importance of such trials in battling antibiotic resistance, a growing global health concern. In a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 70% of healthcare professionals expressed concern over rising antibiotic-resistant infections. Initiatives like this vaccine trial could be critical in addressing these threats.
For more details about C. diff and its impact, you can check the CDC’s factsheet here.
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