Not This Time...

Aug 7, 2020 by CenTrial



Often one of the biggest challenges to running a clinical trial is getting enough people to participate.

But not this time.

Thousands of people are signing up to test the coronavirus vaccine, and researchers predict that 60,000 will be inoculated by September, with a booster shot a month later.

As well as becoming a "medical hero," people who receive the vaccine feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. Part of history. And since the vaccine does not contain any live virus, most people feel it is safe.

And being paid up to $2,000 to complete the 2-year trial doesn't hurt either.

The clinical trials are looking for participants 18 years and older and are especially interested in high-risk individuals like healthcare workers, the elderly, people with chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma, and populations such as Blacks and Hispanics that have been hit particularly hard by the virus.

In order to test the vaccine's effectiveness, only half the volunteers will receive the medication while the other half gets a placebo. In a few months, scientists will know if the vaccine group has developed fewer cases of COVID-19 than the control group.

One participant describes her experience in signing up as taking about three hours. There was paperwork to complete, vital signs were taken, a COVID-10 swab test was administered, and blood was given. Then a short stay in a recovery room to see if there was any adverse reaction.

There are numerous testing sites throughout the country that are running the clinical trials and they all still need more volunteers.

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