Novavax vaccine trial part 2

[Frazzled2207]

A continuation of the thread for those of us taking part in the Vaccine trial.
Never had a thread continue to part 2 before so quite excited.

Old thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4048789-novavax-vaccine-trial-anyone-else

@Stillmuddlingthrough

So has anyone in the Leeds trial been given appointment dates? I have only been given ‘looking to give appointments from 19th April’ even though I said I was going to have to unblind if it wasn’t soon.

I emailed Leeds yesterday morning with "I’m just wondering whether it is possible to book appointments yet for the crossover?"

Their reply Thank you for your email in regard to crossover trial appointments. Our team is currently in the process of booking appointments for participants. Would it be possible for you to supply your participant number and our team will be able to offer an appointment to you?

I gave it to them then got

Thank you for your prompt response, please can you provide our team with your availability week commencing the 19th of Aprill please? Our clinic runs between the hours of 8:30am-2:30pmm (with a break 12:30pm-1:30pmm) Monday to Fridayy. If you are not able to attend that week, we are able to book an appointment for the week after.

I booked Mon 19th April 10.30am.

All that was within half an hour.

I'm London (St. Georges) and I email them, they always respond within 24 hours.

Thanks. Doesn’t make sense why I didn’t get offered one

Oops that was to pleaserefertomeasbritneyspears.

I got that email too, werekitty. A week after I was sent the labels.

It’s great to see (most) of you getting confirmed crossover appointments. Is there anyone on here in the Synexus Cardiff trial and had appointments yet? I told the Dr at the centre that I’ve had 2 Texts from GP, one from NHS, a phone call and now my blue letter so was considering to be unblinded, but was told I would be put on a priority list for appointments in the crossover trial starting April (and would be phoned). I’ve still not heard anything and although I don’t want to pester them, it appears to be those who shout loudest!?!

@Stillmuddlingthrough

Thanks. Doesn’t make sense why I didn’t get offered one

Maybe they got into trouble for deviating from procedure. In any case, it shouldn't be long and at least you know it will be that week or perhaps the week after.

t.co/PwqBSFNBVy
From the US but still interesting. Says they are in production in Texas now. Somebody on another thread has heard on local radio that the NE facility is producing in anticipation too.

I've now been unblinded and happy to announce I had the real things. I was pretty sure but it's reassuring to know for certain.

www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/production-novavax-vaccine-gets-under-20237098

@JPLeeds

I've now been unblinded and happy to announce I had the real things. I was pretty sure but it's reassuring to know for certain.

Great stuff! Did you have any side effects?

@JPLeeds
Fab! Does that mean you’re not going back for placebo shots but staying in the trial?

The first injection made me very sleepy and I had pain in my arm. After the second I had a high temperature and I woke up with a strange fever/chills overnight.

@JPLeeds
Ah I had absolutely nothing so am mentally preparing myself to be a bit poorly next week.

Great news from Teesside they are right not to speculate when it will be approved but I’m hoping for April. I’m sure the powers that be will be trying to get it approved as soon as practicable (ditto J&J) given the mooted slowdown in April.
Not sure where the J&J is (going to be) manufactured. Also wonder if the NE plant for novavax will “just” be for UK supply. Seems unlikely but I know they are also manufacturing in India and the US.

Yes, I wondered about supply destination too. I've not heard anything about proposed distribution channels. I just pray it won't be long now. This wait at the end seems so drawn out.

Yeah the document they send says it's fine to stay in so I've emailed to request that I carry on with trial (next appointment May) I hope at the end I can see all the antibody information they have on me.

@PleaseReferToMeAsBritneySpears

Yes, I wondered about supply destination too. I've not heard anything about proposed distribution channels. I just pray it won't be long now. This wait at the end seems so drawn out.

Our government has been very cagey about all of this. Some of it will be commercially sensitive but I’d welcome more transparency tbh

I'm pretty sure it's just for UK supply but we may end up selling some or giving it away as we have obviously ordered too many vsccines. I know someone who works at the Fujifilm Billingham plant and a while back they were struggling to produce enough due to Covid-19 sickness (not sure how true that is)

As I understand it, only the antigen part of the vaccine is manufactured in the UK. The adjuvant is made in Sweden, Denmark and the US.

ir.novavax.com/news-releases/news-release-details/novavax-announces-covid-19-vaccine-manufacturing-agreement-serum

Oh that’s interesting I was def under the impression it was to be bottled up in the north east - government def announced it would be “made in the uk” around Christmas time, that article is from September so possibly out of date?

This is the latest news from Teesside:

www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/production-novavax-vaccine-gets-under-20237098

I take it back, just had a call booking my first crossover appointment for the 6th April.

@Frazzled2207

Oh that’s interesting I was def under the impression it was to be bottled up in the north east - government def announced it would be “made in the uk” around Christmas time, that article is from September so possibly out of date?

Well, this government has a vested interest in saying that it’s ‘made in the UK’ and will probably wave flags around to prove it

A possible interpretation, however, is that the protein is made in the NE, the adjuvant gets shipped over from Sweden and they’re put together here. I did look at the Novavax media releases and couldn’t find any more recent announcements about manufacturing sites.

@QueenOfThorns very true.

Yes what you are suggesting sounds very plausible, admittedly I have very little scientific knowledge of how they make vaccines. I do know however that in all cases there is a complex international supply chain and it's definitely not the case that all steps are made in the same place.

First crossover appointment booked! 9th April. Hurrah.