San Antonio researchers seek between 500 and 600 participants for the COVID-19 vaccine trial

SAN ANTONIO – A trial of the COVID-19 vaccine is being prepared to start in San Antonio, and starting Thursday, researchers will begin evaluating potential participants.

The trial is conducted at Clinical Trials of Texas, located in the Medical Center area.

Must be 18 years of age or older and have not had COVID-19 before participating. Also, if those who wish to join the trial have underlying conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, they should be monitored.

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First responders and other frontline workers at high risk of contracting COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to apply.

“They will be evaluated when they get to the test,” said Dr. Douglass Denham, chief medical director of Texas Clinical Trials.

The vaccine study will begin on July 27.

“It is a large trial of 30,000 patients across the country and around the world,” Denham said.

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Participants will receive two rounds of injections. The second booster shot will be given approximately one month after the first.

Denham says those who participate cannot become infected with the vaccine.

“The vaccine itself is not a live vaccine, a vaccination process,” said Denham.

He said some participants might experience common side effects from the mild vaccine.

“Pain at the injection site, maybe fevers, some redness of the skin around that area. Muscle aches and pains, fatigue. They don’t feel well for a couple of days. That generally goes away, ”Denham said.

The intention is that the vaccine, which is being manufactured by the company Moderna, creates antibodies that will protect against the virus. If the trials are successful, the vaccine must still be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

At best, the entire process could take several months, but Denham says the vaccine may be available to the public later this year or early 2021.

For more information on how to participate, call 210-949-0122, extension 290, or visit SAresearch.com.

Chosen participants will receive a stipend for travel expenses, although the exact amount has not yet been determined.