Kaiser Permanente is recruiting at least 100 Oregonians to take part in one of the state’s first coronavirus vaccine studies.
Trials could begin as soon as New Week for volunteers who need to receive health care through the Kaiser network to participate.
Britta Torgrimson-Ojerio, a nurse researcher at the Kaiser Permanent Center for Health Research, said volunteers are happy to enroll.
“We have already received an incredible response from our Kaiser membership,” she said, “what I think is a tribute to how many people believe in helping to find a vaccine that will help our community to recover from the social and economic turmoil. have come in this pandemic. ”
The center is one of three Kaiser locations around the country undergoing testing for the vaccine, which was developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. The companies, under a $ 2 billion contract with the Trump administration, are part of what the White House calls Operation Warp Speed, an attempt to dramatically reduce the time required to develop a working and distributing coronavirus vaccine. .
The Pfizer vaccine is one of eight in the world that have undergone phase three trials – the final stage before a drug can be administered to the public. Another trial for a vaccine developed by the company Moderna is underway in Medford.
Oregonians participating in the Kaiser trial will be part of a larger sample of 1,400 participants in Oregon and California, and 30,000 participants worldwide. People with serious medical conditions, such as cancer, will be screened.
Participants will sign waivers of liability, Torgrimson-Ojerio said, but they are free to end their trial at any point.
“It is very important for any research that has potential risks involved, to work closely with participants and explain to them the potential harm and potential benefit,” she said.
Selected Oregonians will participate in what is called a double-blind trial. Half will receive the vaccine and half will receive a placebo. They will not know what they are receiving.
Participants will then log in and report to Kaiser on any side effects that, like the flu shot, may include symptoms of coronavirus. They will also receive a ‘booster’ vaccine weeks after the first injection.
Kaiser will be collecting data for two months, and then reporting it to Pfizer.
Researchers will analyze the effectiveness by determining if coronavirus infections are more prevalent among people who received the vaccine than the placebo, Torgrimson-Ojerio said. Healthcare professionals should also be sure that the side effects of the vaccine are manageable.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will ultimately decide when the vaccine is ready for the market.
Faxes typically take years to complete before being removed for medical use. The rapid pace of coronavirus tears has raised concerns among scientists who fear that rising political pressure could lead to blunt results.
The United States has recorded more than 5.2 million coronavirus infections and 166,900 have died, according to a New York Times database.
“I really believe we do not want to go through this process because the best way to get through this difficult time in this pandemic is to get a vaccine that works and works for a diverse community and population of people,” said Torgrimson-Ojerio .
– Bryce Dole; [email protected]; 541-660-9844; @DoleBryce
