I've been accepted on the COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

[roses2]

I've been offered a place on the COVID-19 trial being run by Imperial College.

I'm a little nervous and still debating whether or not to accept. I'm female, BAME and I have two children.

Help me make a decision! What should I do?

Why did you apply?

What's changed?

I wouldn't. Just look at what's happened in previous drug trials. Organ failure? Cancer? No idea why anyone would risk it.

Great! I say do it unless you are over 45 or have relevant underlying health conditions.

You’ll be doing a great thing for the world and you may well end up immune to corona.

Ooh you complicated woman, you!

Well done for volunteering! 👏

#invisiblewomen

I’ve applied for the same trial and if accepted I will go ahead. Are you a single parent?

@PeppaisaBitch if nobody risked it then we'd never find vaccines for deadly viruses.

It's up to you OP. It's a wonderful thing to do.

What a brave, selfless thing to do. Thank you.

Only you can decide OP, what's your gut feeling?

I would do it if there were one near me. Well done OP we'll never get anywhere if no one tests the vaccine options

The only thing making me hesitate for you is the fact you have two children, I personally wouldnt but only because I have small children who need me I could take the risk

No I wouldn’t. It normally takes four years of vigorous testing. This is too quick. You could end up leaving your children motherless.

I find it odd they have lots in the freezer already for human volunteers

I suppose one positive of being part of a trial is if something does happen you will have access to the highest (and very early medical intervention) medical provisions as that is part of participation in the trial.

I think you need to put your mind back to the reasons you chose to apply in the first place.
Have those reasons changed?

Ultimately none of us can help you make this decision, it's something you have to decide for yourself but if you go ahead then thankyou from me.

Well why did you apply? If those reasons still stack up then you should but if they don’t then you can and should absolutely decline. You’re not obligated to save the world but you are obligated to fend for yourself and your own circumstance.

Most people would never even consider applying, there’s no shame of weakness in changing your mind even if the rewards would be big.

I wish I hadn't screened out. Well done for applying; you're doing an incredible thing.

I would do it (and would have volunteered, but I have asthma).

I would apply in a nanosecond if I were eligible.

OP, what prompted you to apply in the first place, and what are the concerns making you hesitate? Presumably they have sent you literature warning of the risks - is that what’s putting you off? Or is it the spouting of “it’s too quick, don’t take the risk” from people who don’t understand that new vaccines are going through exactly the same steps as normal, just with some things being done in parallel.

There is always going to be the first person to have the injection. That was done yesterday. Presumably those people haven’t had an immediate adverse reaction, so the scientists are expanding to more people.

I also assume that one of the reasons this is so fast is because it's a known family of viruses and therefore it's a matter of making changes to existing vaccines (or at least the science behind them) rather than starting totally from scratch. That would also make it seem safer to me.

It’s great you applied but I can’t help but wonder why you applied if you weren’t going to go through with it if accepted?

Out of interest OP how does it work? Do you have to go and stay in a facility while the trial is going on? And do they pay you?

I would. I would put myself forward but I live in the wrong place and have asthma. I would do it because I want away out of this, and they need volunteers, someone has to do it and I would be prepared for that person to be me.

But I can't tell you what to do. What where your reasons for volunteerong in the first place? If you have changed your mind thats ok.

I would do it but I have underlying conditions

For those who are 100% sure they want to do this, more power to them. But, if you're not sure don't don't do it.

Good for you! Thanks for doing this, I would if there were one near me

Have you read the ingredients list for both vaccines and the side effects of comparator vaccine? Do you have any family with autoimmune / chronic health conditions that might increase your risk factors? Do you have or have you had any amalgam fillings? (Your toxic load could already be quite high). Have you had any recurring health issue / infections, allergies, hayfever etc? Do you know if you have any gene mutations (MTHFR would be one that would case me concern).

@mynameiscalypso - I’ve only recently become an internet expert on this so am basically talking out of my arse (!) but my understanding is that there’s obviously been a huge investment and push in current work that builds on SARS and MERS which were never heavily invested in because they were such limited outbreaks.

Out of curiosity I went down a bit of a Wikipedia rabbit hole and found that the two corona-type virus vaccines in regular use are used in chickens and cows.

So basically yes these vaccines haven’t been developed from a starting point of zero and there is a foundation for science to build on.