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Why you volunteered for vaccine clinical trials. Do you think it is a way for scientists to contribute too?
Because I’m brave, maybe (laughs). Seriously, of course, I think it’s a way of making my contribution. But I also did it out of scientific curiosity. I am a microbiologist and I know the structure of vaccines well, I lead a team that is in the final stage of developing a ‘corona kit’ – a device that, based on a small chip that is placed on the tongue, takes a sample of saliva and, in minutes, and without being invasive, gives the result of the presence or not of the virus. In other words, I live in this scientific environment and I know that the pharmaceutical company Pfizer has the latest, top-of-the-range technology that promises excellent guarantees in this area. On the other hand, the scientist who is in charge of the tests in Turkey is my friend and I was always aware of the development of studies on this vaccine in the first two phases, both in cell tests and in animal tests. And I knew that everything was going very well. I knew enough to trust and participate in the study as a volunteer.
Being a ‘guinea pig’ in these experiences is always a risk. I’m not afraid?
I am a doctor and I have permanent contact with the virus. If you have to be infected with the disease, it is for good reason. We are facing a very serious global infection, but it is a risk we must take.
What did they explain about the trial of this new vaccine?
When I was in the Istanbul lab for the first time, where the trial is taking place, they started by explaining the possible adverse reactions to me. The most unexpected and serious reactions to these vaccines are anaphylactic reactions, sudden and severe allergic reactions that can be fatal. But, from what I know from studies in the United States, among the 44,000 people involved, no one has had serious side effects yet. Just fever, redness, pain, and swelling. Only that.
Did you experience any of these effects?
Just a local pain in the arm after the injection. It lasted all day.
Did you have to sign any documentation about how you were responsible for the side effects of the vaccine?
Yes. But first it was necessary to pass the tests. They made me a swab, to see if it was contaminated or not, then they did two blood tests, for general evaluation, to verify the composition of my blood, to confirm that I was not taking other medications, such as antibiotics, because they can damage the result of the clinical trial of the vaccine … Only later did they ask me to sign some papers, in which I had to confirm that I accepted all the probable risks of the disease. Then they injected me with the first dose of the vaccine. This happened last week. I will take the second dose in two weeks. When I took the first dose, they gave me a mobile phone with an application, through which I have to inform the control team about my clinical situation every day: I give them general information and answer some questions about side effects such as I have vomiting, fever , shaking chills. This is how they ‘control’ me, that is, they monitor the development of the clinical trial in the volunteers who participate in it. Now, before taking the second dose of the vaccine, I repeat all the tests and analyzes that I have done before. And, two weeks later, everything will repeat itself again. The objective is to check if the vaccine has fulfilled its function: to create antibodies in my body that fight the disease. In these tests, they also look to see if I already have cells immune to the virus, that is, if my body has already created a cellular memory that prevents the virus from entering the cells. If all that happens, they will know that the vaccine, at least with me, is working.
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