20 ms·

What if something goes horribly wrong and the vaccine trial causes unwanted side effects? Why risk it, what are they paying you?

by xwdv 6y ago

maxehmookau 6y ago
I'm receiving no money for my participation. I wasn't in the initial Phase I trial, a few hundred people had already received the vaccine before me with no unexpected side effects. I guess I'm risking it because someone has to. Vaccine trials are incredibly safe and highly regulated. In reality, the worst-case was that it didn't work rather than my head exploding.
- xwdv 6y ago
  How do you prove to people you are in a vaccine trial, do you have a card?
  - maxehmookau 6y ago
    I have a "red alert" card so if I'm found unconscious a paramedic knows to contact the study team to find out if I'm in the control arm or I've had the active vaccine so they can rule out if it's important to why I was found unconscious! But it is just a piece of paper that the team printed out, and I think I lost it.
    - neuronic 6y ago
      Paramedics won't go through your wallet anyways.
    - behnamoh 6y ago
      >> But it is just a piece of paper that the team printed out, and I think I lost it. loses the single most important medical document that's going to save his life
      - maxehmookau 6y ago
        It's in my iPhone medical ID which I carry round far more often than my wallet. (Paramedics almost always check that here in the UK) The likelihood of it being of diagnostic usage is pretty low anyway. A vaccine is highly unlikely to cause the sort of reaction that means I won't be conscious.
rlpb 6y ago
> Why risk it? It's worth pointing out that during a pandemic, while participating in a trial does carry a risk, so does not participating. A participant has some substantially greater probability* than the general population of avoiding an infection which apparently carries a risk of death or long term debilitating effects. * You'll have to incorporate the probability of being in the control group, of course, but the overall probability is still significant.
- maxehmookau 6y ago
  Oh yeah, that's for sure. The idea that there's a pretty decent chance that I've been vaccinated already which means I don't have to wait for a vaccine is great. My life can begin to go back to normal potentially months before it otherwise would.
  - pbourke 6y ago
    Are participants eventually informed whether they’re in the treatment or control groups?
    - whimsicalism 6y ago
      At the end of study.
  - elevenoh 6y ago
    >My life can begin to go back to normal potentially months before it otherwise would. Howso? Socialization is a multi-party dynamic. Folks might not care/believe you if you state 'I'm vaccinated' until it's widely accepted.
    - whimsicalism 6y ago
      Maybe I'm a dunce but I would believe a friend if they say they're vaccinated or already got covid.
      - 6y ago
standardUser 6y ago
It's worth remembering that Phase 3 trials follow Phase 1/2 trials, and those earlier trials are responsible for assessing the general safety of the vaccine. Phase 3 helps assess safety concerns among a much larger and more diverse group of people, but it is primarily about proving efficacy. They don't give out tens of thousands of vaccines (Phase 3) without a lot of data already showing the vaccine is safe.
ksk 6y ago
By the time human trials commence, we're as sure as we can be that it's safe. Due to how the system is set up at the governmental level, whenever any participant in the trial experiences adverse reactions, the trial is halted, until an explanation can be given. It's a serious concern that can and does lead to products not being approved by the FDA. Not being approved = loss of tens or sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars. People take this stuff very very very seriously :)
tgsovlerkhgsel 6y ago
What if something goes horribly normally and you catch the virus the vaccine is supposed to prevent? It's a risk tradeoff, different between the phases. I'd probably volunteer for a phase 3 trial if one was available in my area. Phase 1 would be a bit too hot for me.
- maxehmookau 6y ago
  I'd agree. I wasn't interested in Phase I. My trial is Phase II/III. I was by no means the first to be vaccinated. Any major, common, reactions had already been pretty safely discounted.

What if something goes horribly wrong and the vaccine trial causes unwanted side effects? Why risk it, what are they paying you?

by xwdv 6y ago

What if something goes horribly wrong and the vaccine trial causes unwanted side effects? Why risk it, what are they paying you?

maxehmookau 6y ago

I'm receiving no money for my participation. I wasn't in the initial Phase I trial, a few hundred people had already received the vaccine before me with no unexpected side effects. I guess I'm risking it because someone has to. Vaccine trials are incredibly safe and highly regulated. In reality, the worst-case was that it didn't work rather than my head exploding.

xwdv 6y ago
How do you prove to people you are in a vaccine trial, do you have a card?
- maxehmookau 6y ago
  I have a "red alert" card so if I'm found unconscious a paramedic knows to contact the study team to find out if I'm in the control arm or I've had the active vaccine so they can rule out if it's important to why I was found unconscious! But it is just a piece of paper that the team printed out, and I think I lost it.
  - neuronic 6y ago
    Paramedics won't go through your wallet anyways.
  - behnamoh 6y ago
    >> But it is just a piece of paper that the team printed out, and I think I lost it. loses the single most important medical document that's going to save his life
    - maxehmookau 6y ago
      It's in my iPhone medical ID which I carry round far more often than my wallet. (Paramedics almost always check that here in the UK) The likelihood of it being of diagnostic usage is pretty low anyway. A vaccine is highly unlikely to cause the sort of reaction that means I won't be conscious.

rlpb 6y ago

> Why risk it? It's worth pointing out that during a pandemic, while participating in a trial does carry a risk, so does not participating. A participant has some substantially greater probability* than the general population of avoiding an infection which apparently carries a risk of death or long term debilitating effects. * You'll have to incorporate the probability of being in the control group, of course, but the overall probability is still significant.

maxehmookau 6y ago
Oh yeah, that's for sure. The idea that there's a pretty decent chance that I've been vaccinated already which means I don't have to wait for a vaccine is great. My life can begin to go back to normal potentially months before it otherwise would.
- pbourke 6y ago
  Are participants eventually informed whether they’re in the treatment or control groups?
  - whimsicalism 6y ago
    At the end of study.
- elevenoh 6y ago
  >My life can begin to go back to normal potentially months before it otherwise would. Howso? Socialization is a multi-party dynamic. Folks might not care/believe you if you state 'I'm vaccinated' until it's widely accepted.
  - whimsicalism 6y ago
    Maybe I'm a dunce but I would believe a friend if they say they're vaccinated or already got covid.
    - 6y ago

standardUser 6y ago

It's worth remembering that Phase 3 trials follow Phase 1/2 trials, and those earlier trials are responsible for assessing the general safety of the vaccine. Phase 3 helps assess safety concerns among a much larger and more diverse group of people, but it is primarily about proving efficacy. They don't give out tens of thousands of vaccines (Phase 3) without a lot of data already showing the vaccine is safe.

ksk 6y ago

By the time human trials commence, we're as sure as we can be that it's safe. Due to how the system is set up at the governmental level, whenever any participant in the trial experiences adverse reactions, the trial is halted, until an explanation can be given. It's a serious concern that can and does lead to products not being approved by the FDA. Not being approved = loss of tens or sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars. People take this stuff very very very seriously :)

tgsovlerkhgsel 6y ago

What if something goes horribly normally and you catch the virus the vaccine is supposed to prevent? It's a risk tradeoff, different between the phases. I'd probably volunteer for a phase 3 trial if one was available in my area. Phase 1 would be a bit too hot for me.

maxehmookau 6y ago
I'd agree. I wasn't interested in Phase I. My trial is Phase II/III. I was by no means the first to be vaccinated. Any major, common, reactions had already been pretty safely discounted.