Combogal Trial for Combined Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Launches in Galicia
Fifty-three adults aged 65 and older received immunizations on Saturday, October 17, 2026, marking the launch of the Combogal clinical trial across public hospitals in the Pontevedra and O Salnés health area, according to Pontevedraviva. The study, coordinated in Galicia by Federico Martinón, evaluates whether a single combination dose targeting both influenza and COVID-19 can reduce hospitalizations more effectively than separate concurrent injections.
- The Combogal trial tests a combination vaccine for influenza and COVID-19 in adults aged 65 and older, running across public hospitals in Galicia and in Denmark.
- Participants are randomized to receive either a single combined dose or two separate immunizations administered simultaneously.
- Moderna Spain director Pablo Álvarez stated that a new combined flu and COVID-19 vaccine developed by the company is part of a clinical trial being carried out in Galicia.
Galicia and Denmark Coordinate the Combogal Trial
The clinical investigation is conducted jointly between research groups in Galicia and Denmark, as reported by La Voz de Galicia. Conselleiro de Sanidade Antonio Gómez Caamaño supervised the start of the study on October 17 at the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago alongside Federico Martinón, according to La Región. The protocol divides participants into two arms: half receive the combined influenza-COVID-19 vaccine in a single injection, while the other half receive individual vaccines administered separately on a randomized basis, as noted by La Opinión A Coruña. The research utilizes facilities across the 14 public hospitals in the Galician health network.
Expansion of mRNA Technology and Clinical Trials in Spain
Pablo Álvarez, general director of Moderna in Spain, presented the combined vaccine in Vigo during the XIII Congreso de la Asociación Española de Vacunología, published La Voz de Galicia. When asked about research collaboration, Álvarez stated that Moderna is already working with the Sergas and the research group of Dr. Federico Martinón, who coordinates the Combogal study.
Ensayo clínico Combogal para evaluar la eficacia de la vacuna contra la gripe y COVID https://t.co/OXLCiyIK9f
The Servizo Galego de Saúde (Sergas) dispatched informational text messages to approximately 730,000 residents aged 65 and older to invite voluntary participation, according to La Región. Volunteers can schedule appointments through the Sergas Móvil application or via a dedicated phone line, 900 842 217. For the first time in a regional study of this scale, informed consent can be executed electronically. In the Pontevedra and O Salnés health area, the initial Saturday session administered 37 doses in the morning—26 at Hospital Montecelo in Pontevedra and 11 at the Hospital de O Salnés—followed by 16 additional immunizations in the afternoon, according to Pontevedraviva. Ursula Nieto, trial coordinator at the University Hospital of A Coruña (Chuac) and nursing coordinator in O Ventorrillo, emphasized that the trial aims to evaluate immunization adherence alongside clinical efficacy in preventing severe respiratory complications.
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