Oxford Vaccine

[BlueBlancmange]

I am optimistic about vaccines in general. However I am concerned about the Oxford Vaccine and the two cases of Transverse Myelitis that have occurred. It is claimed the first case was related to a diagnosis of MS in the volunteer and nothing to do with the vaccine. However they seem to be being quite vague about the second case, and trials have not resumed in the US although they have elsewhere.

I have heard if there is another case that is pretty much the end for this particular vaccine. But surely it's possible that the vaccine has caused the reaction, but there doesn't happen to be another case of it during the trials. How can it simply rest on whether or not one more case of Transverse Myelitis shows up? Surely we need to know for sure that the vaccine isn't causing it. And if another one does happen then that is pretty much the end of it. It just seems worrying either way.

No Sarah Gilbert did say they hoped for results in the Autumn- but that was when there was more infection around. They need, I think, 150 people to contract the virus. I suppose, the increasing cases will speed things up a bit

I thought they had trials in Brazil and the other infection hotspots for that?

From the FT:

London is to host the world’s first Covid-19 human challenge trials — in which healthy volunteers are deliberately infected with coronavirus to assess the effectiveness of experimental vaccines.

The UK government-funded studies are expected to begin in January at a secure quarantine facility in east London, according to several people involved in the project, which will be announced next week.

The researchers, who did not want to comment publicly ahead of the launch, said the trials would play a vital role in narrowing the large field of promising Covid-19 vaccines likely to move into clinical testing early next year.

@jasjas1973

I thought they had trials in Brazil and the other infection hotspots for that?

Yes, still haven't got to the required number of infections though!

Interesting about the challenge trials Coffee

Wow, if that is true. I thought we were really against these challenge trials here.

Reuters are reporting it too, so looks like it must have passed the ethics committee.

And people worry about the non safety related paperwork political issue of licencing?

With the developing information about Long Covid - potential long-term disability including heart and lung damage - that trial would be highly unethical.

Why such a law though?

Why not allow people to choose their own risk (with informed consent and a disclaimer), like they do in so many other areas of life.

That’s a philosophical/political question, rather than the practical one I thought I was answering. So I suppose that means it’s up for debate.

The first responsibility of any government is to protect the health and well-being of its citizens. Perhaps they think, on balance, that the decision about whether to use certain substances is best taken by people who know the intricacies of it and understand risk, rather than lay people. The same reason why some medicines can be bought over the counter, others only on prescription.

The first responsibility of any government is to protect the health and well-being of its citizens
Oh dear. They've failed at the first hurdle.

It's been announced that the Oxford Vaccine will not be part of these challenge trials that will be taking place here in London.

Useful summary of the 4 Phase 3 vaccine trials from their protocols.
mobile.twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1308785711802327041

Oxford/ Astra protocol requires 75 infections for the interim analysis and 150 for completion.

@Char2015

It's been announced that the Oxford Vaccine will not be part of these challenge trials that will be taking place here in London.

Makes sense as they should have efficacy data from the phase 3 trial by then anyway.