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Original poster

Valneva trial

56 replies

valnevavaxx · 03/05/2021 15:08

NC’d for this.

Has anyone else signed up to participate in the Valneva trial? I’ve got my assessment booked in this week, if I’m deemed suitable I’ll get my first jab then with the second within a month- I’ll admit the lure of being double jabbed by June was the main draw! Will be nice to feel like I’m contributing to the vaccine effort as well.

It’s a comparison trial, so if you’re in your thirties you will either get the unapproved Valneva or the AZ jab (more likely to be Valneva) and you won’t ever find out which it is. After both jabs I have to go back to the clinic for some more visits, 7 total over a year.

Has anyone else signed up, or had their jab already? How are you feeling?

OP posts:
Frazzled2207 · 03/05/2021 15:34

hi good for you!

Not me but there are a batch of us on the novavax trial, we started in October and now it's turned into a crossover trial which means all of us who got the real thing got the placebo and vv. So we've all had it (other than drop outs, of which there were many because their number came up for a vaccine in the normal way before the crossover jabs, which are only underway now).

It's mostly been a very positive experience. We have some quibbles about eligibility for vaccine passports but hoping that might sort itself out soon.

You're definitely getting a vaccine anyway, which is great. Back when we signed up we were under the impression that only 50% of us would get it but similarly we'd get two jabs in quick succession. In october that sounds like a very good idea at the time!

Hope it goes well!

LittleRen · 03/05/2021 15:51

I have my assessment booked for weds. Still
not 100% sure... I really didn’t want AZ but 1 in 3 will get that.

LittleRen · 03/05/2021 15:52

I got the impression screening and jab done on same day did you get the same impression? So they don’t wait for blood results?

Original poster
valnevavaxx · 03/05/2021 16:07

Yes the jab is done same day as screening, if you’re deemed suitable. A friend of mine had hers this week and that’s what happened with hers.

OP posts:
JustMeAndWheatley · 03/05/2021 17:12

A good friend of mine is doing it. She said the experience was fantastic and they were all treated like royalty. She was there for 3 hours for the screening and jab. She had no side effects at all.

JustMeAndWheatley · 03/05/2021 17:14

She did mention that they took a lot of blood and she had to lie down afterwards then have something to eat.

I’m on the Jansen trial so we’ve been comparing notes.

Frazzled2207 · 03/05/2021 17:16

@valnevavaxx

Yes the jab is done same day as screening, if you’re deemed suitable. A friend of mine had hers this week and that’s what happened with hers.
same with us
Original poster
valnevavaxx · 03/05/2021 21:17

@JustMeAndWheatley Glad to hear about your friend’s experience! Mine had very bad fever after hers so I’ve been a bit nervous, still generally excited to be getting a jab though.

OP posts:
LittleRen · 03/05/2021 21:28

I really do want to participate but I am nervous about the new vaccine with a previous small sample in phases 1 and 2. Ultimately I think the pros outweigh the cons though.

Valtrial17 · 05/05/2021 11:58

Hello,

(Also NC'd for this).

I am on the trial. Had my initial appointment yesterday - passed screening and first jab.

Very good experience overall, it took a bit longer than I had anticipated as it was the first day at this site but everyone was very positive and I felt well looked after.

I am under 30 so I know I have had Valneva - feeling fine so far...

Hope your screening appointment goes well @valnevavaxx

Original poster
valnevavaxx · 05/05/2021 12:03

That's great news @Valtrial17- how are you feeling today?

My appointment is this evening, quite nervous but excited too!

OP posts:
Valtrial17 · 05/05/2021 12:58

Slightly sore arm and very minor headache this morning which has cleared up. It was so minor that I might have been imagining it! I'm working today as normal.

Good luck this evening! I recommend taking a book or something as you might have a bit of waiting between tests (and be prepared to do a urine sample! I had to drink lots of water once I had arrived!)

LittleRen · 05/05/2021 13:58

@Valtrial17 did they mention the vaccine passport to you? Only approved vaccines will be on it - this is a concern to me, being left behind.

Valtrial17 · 05/05/2021 14:40

@LittleRen
We didn't talk about it in great detail but I also didn't ask.

I have a little 'card' passport which says that I'm in the trial and when I received the dose. I expect that if domestic vaccine passports (i.e. pubs, venues) are rolled out this summer then I would still need to provide evidence of a recent negative test.
(But given my age and that I have not been offered even a first dose of a licensed vaccine this would be the case for me for the foreseeable anyway as 12 weeks takes me into August).

I am not planning foreign travel until next year - by that point I hope that either Valneva will be approved, vaccines won't be required to travel, I'll have had a different vaccine as this one was shown not to work or I'll get a negative test instead :)

I also asked the Dr about whether it would be possible to take an approved vaccine in the future were the Valneva trial to fail and the Dr said yes. As long as it's two weeks after your dose and you inform them, they also ask that you continue with the appointments for monitoring.

For me, the benefits outweighed the negatives regarding potential inconveniences with travel, but I can see I might feel differently were my circumstances different!

JustMeAndWheatley · 05/05/2021 15:09

[quote LittleRen]@Valtrial17 did they mention the vaccine passport to you? Only approved vaccines will be on it - this is a concern to me, being left behind.[/quote]
I’m on the Johnson & Johnson trial and this was a concern for me, particularly when the trial was paused because of concerns about side effects. It still hasn’t had approval in the UK.

However, I was given a letter, written by the doctor leading the trial in this country, stating that I’d had 2 doses of the vaccine with the batch numbers and dates and saying that the drug had been approved for use in the US and the EU and that the letter should be taken as evidence that I’d had the vaccines in any situations where a vaccine passport was required (but worded better than my paraphrasing!).

Valtrial17 · 05/05/2021 15:40

@JustMeAndWheatley Thank you for this - I'll definitely ask for something similar when I get my second dose!

MiaMc · 05/05/2021 20:12

@LittleRen

I really do want to participate but I am nervous about the new vaccine with a previous small sample in phases 1 and 2. Ultimately I think the pros outweigh the cons though.
It’s not really a “new” vaccine in that it’s based on established technology which is already used to make other vaccines like the one for flu. So personally I would say there’s less to be nervous about with the Valneva vaccine.
Missypuff30 · 05/05/2021 21:06

Were you contacted by phone or email? My husband signed up but haven't heard anything yet. Just wondering if that means he's not required.

Original poster
valnevavaxx · 05/05/2021 21:51

I signed up on the website, someone from the specific location I’d selected called me about 5 days later with an appointment for the following week.

My appointment was fine- they did an antibodies and covid test, as well as a urine test to check if I’m pregnant (I’m not) and they took about half a pint of blood- 12 vials! Tbh that part was worse than the jab.

I have been randomised to go back in 8 days for an additional check, but then will return 20 days after that for jab number 2. Feel fine at the moment, can’t even feel where it went in on my arm.

I did consider the vaccine passport implications, but it’ll be a while before I’m thinking of going abroad anyway so I’m happy to risk that Valneva is approved by then. If I’m offered the jab via the government in the meantime I am able to take it so long as I alert the trial so they can unblind me (incase I have received AZ) but honestly I think I’ll stick with this.

If anyone’s signed up and nervous or hesitant, all the staff there were so friendly and enthusiastic it put me immediately at ease- I feel very happy that I’ve been jabbed, and have contributed in a very small way to the overall effort in beating Covid.

OP posts:
LittleRen · 05/05/2021 22:43

@valnevavaxx oh wow so much blood taken - why do they need so much?!!!

Torvean · 05/05/2021 23:42

Welcome to the Covid trial experience. I'm in the Novavax trial.
I found the initial assessment pretty intense. They even threw in a free Ultrasound.

Next time your seen you should get your lymph nodes examined.
I also did the crossover . So I got 2 vaccines and 2 placebos. I will find out when I had it when we are unblinded.

The only niggles I've had has been the lack of information towards the end of the trial.

We have an A4 signed bit of paper that says we've had 2 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Good luck with it all. Hopefully you're part of something that could save lives.

GrumpySausage · 06/05/2021 07:03

Hi all, I'm off to my first valneva trial appointment this afternoon, got a call earlier in the week.

When I first volunteered and when I got the call I was all for it, but last night in bed I started to worry about it. I always do this.

My main worry is am I potentially scuppering my chances of getting an approved vaccine? I'm 34 so expecting to be 1st dose jabbed by June ish. I know I'll be 2nd dose jabbed ckmetely on the trial but it isn't approved yet.

As with all 3am thoughts I panicked and decided there wasn't enough information about the effacicy of the valneva and what if I caught covid? The appprved jabs have been proven to have some effect whereas the valneva hasn't.

I've calmed down this morning and feel better but has anyone else had the same thoughts? Or what kind of reassurance were they given about the effacicy of valneva?

Hope all that have had it are feeling OK?

GrumpySausage · 06/05/2021 07:03

There were paragraphs when I typed that!

LittleRen · 06/05/2021 08:02

@GrumpySausage that’s exactly how I feel. It’s a big commitment for 18 months and I wouldn’t want to start and then drop out but I am concerned about being left behind without an approved vaccine.

I think the vaccine will be effective but it’s very early days for it.

Yes chances are it will be approved but not until mid/late Q4.

My other concern is I really wanted to avoid AZ but clearly one in three will get that.

LittleRen · 06/05/2021 08:03

Oh my goodness also 12 vials of blood. I am totally fine with needles and injections but that’s a lot Confused