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In April, Ian Haydon received his first dose of the experimental vaccine from the biotech company Moderna. Everything worked out fine, but the second dose became much more dramatic. He suffered a severe reaction with fever, headache, and nausea; he eventually passed out in the bathroom and was forced to seek medical attention, DN previously reported.
The symptoms passed within a few days and a little over five months after the injection, she still feels fine.
– I have had no side effects after that. I have not had any problems, he tells DN.
All participants in the phase 1 study developed antibodies, but Ian Haydon doesn’t know if they are still in his body. He regularly leaves blood samples to researchers who test them for antibodies, but is forced to wait for more responses until the study is published.
– I won’t know until everyone else does, he says.
Ian Haydon regularly takes blood samples that are tested for antibodies.
Photo: Ian C Haydon
The Seattle resident doesn’t know if he’s protected by the vaccine, but he hasn’t had any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 since taking the syringes. When her partner began to feel bad, without knowing what it was, she tested him for the disease and he took the opportunity to do the same. Both samples were negative.
– I don’t make assumptions that I’m immune. It is an experimental vaccine, so no one knows yet if it works. Even if it works, no one knows what dosage is effective. At this point, I have no reason to assume that I am protected.
Considering Due to her strong reaction, she was a bit surprised when her mother decided to enroll in the phase 3 study of Moderna Therapeutics. She has supported his decision to participate in the study, but at the same time is the one who asked him the most about the risks.
– She was the one who was most worried about me.
The phase 3 study began this summer and her mother received both injections. After the second dose, she felt a bit lethargic, restless, and slept poorly, but it passed quickly. However, it is not clear whether she actually received the vaccine or a placebo.
– She is fine. We still don’t know if he has developed antibodies.
Ian Haydon follows the development of the covid-19 vaccine worldwide and thinks it was good that the Astra Zeneca study was temporarily stopped when a participant developed neurological symptoms, which were suspected to be related to the vaccine. The study has now been resumed as it was deemed safe to continue.
– In a way, what happened was good, not that the person got sick, but that the trials stopped so quickly and were examined. It convinces me that the study is done in the right way so that one does not ignore safety and side effects.
What worries him most now is that the Trump administration uses the vaccine for political purposes. Ian Haydon seems to see that researchers from regulatory authorities are exposed to political pressure, mentioning in particular the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, which was quickly approved as a treatment for COVID-19 in April. Trump has been advocating for the drug and for a while for the president even hydroxychloroquine for “preventive” purposes.
– The worst case scenario is if they speed up the approval and schedule it with the American elections before we know if the syringe is safe and effective.
United States: President Donald Trump.
Photo: Andrew Harnik / AP
You are not alone in your concerns.
In the United States, there are fears that the president is trying to pressure the US Food and Drug Administration to approve a vaccine before the November 3 election.
“The fear here is that it will use the standard for emergency clearance,” for example, Ezekiel Emanuel, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Guardian this summer.
The same provision was used in the rapid approval of hydroxychloroquine, although the condition was later withdrawn. According to critics, this shows that the authorities are receptive to political pressure. However, when Trump accused parts of the FDA in August of slowing down the vaccine, in order to undermine his chances of being re-elected, FDA Director Stephen Hahn said he would resign if he felt the authority was under pressure to approve. a vaccine prematurely. Reuters states.
Moderna is developing the vaccine in conjunction with the U.S. National Institutes of Health for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Photo: Ted S. Warren / AP
Ian Haydon is one of the few vaccine study participants who came out and spoke in public. He has been very open about his experiences and has been interviewed by major outlets such as CNN and the Washington Post.
How has your life been affected by all the attention?
– I am very surprised at the attention my story has received in the media. But it is understandable, everyone wants to know what happens with the coronavirus vaccine. I am happy to share my story. In general, the response has been positive. A small group of people, mainly those who are against vaccines, have been critical.
How do you see the intense search that is being carried out to get a vaccine against the coronavirus?
– I’m still optimistic about science. I feel a growing concern about politics. I hope that a vaccine will work and that the people who develop it will do so responsibly so that people will eventually take it, if it is safe and effective.
Read more:
29-year-old Ian Haydon passed out from corona vaccine but is hopeful
Swedish Vaccine Coordinator: Vaccine can be assured for the entire population in 2021
