After the announcement of the FDA authorization of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines for emergency use, many are wondering when and if they will be eligible to receive it soon. For healthcare workers on the front line the possibility of vaccination in the near future is high, but for many of us the reality of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine may be as late as the summer of 2021 according to health experts.
This week Pfizer made the decision to implement the Vaccine Transition Option for study participants. Participants who had originally received placebo will now be offered the option to transition into the vaccine group and receive the investigational vaccine. Currently Pfizer is offering this option to those who would be eligible to receive the vaccine regardless of study participation, such as healthcare workers or those who live in long-term care facilities. Participants who do not qualify at this time will be eligible for the vaccine at their fourth visit for the Pfizer vaccine.
Other COVID-19 vaccine trials have followed Pfizer’s footsteps and have announced that their trial participants who received placebo will be eligible for vaccination as soon as their vaccine is authorized for emergency use. At this time, study modifications such as the Pfizer Vaccine Transition Option are the only guaranteed way to receive a vaccine within these next few months.
Rochester Clinical Research has begun the Vaccine Transition Option for many of Pfizer’s participants who were eligible. Dr. Robinson is just one of the many study participants who received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. When Dr. Robinson first joined the study back in October, she was excited to do any part in being the solution. Working at Twelve Corners Pediatrics, LLP, Dr. Robinson witnesses COVID-19 first hand. By participating in the study, she hopes to make her patients more confident in the vaccine too. “Being in a COVID-19 Vaccine Trial has all positives. It helps keep others around you safe. It gives you access to new medical technology. It allows you to receive the vaccine sooner. And it allows you to take part in advancing science and medicine. Those are all amazing opportunities!”
Rochester Clinical Research currently has 4 COVID-19 studies, all of which have made similar modifications to vaccinate their placebo groups as soon as emergency authorization is granted. Rochester Clinical Research continues enrollment for several COVID-19 vaccine trials that will begin later this month and into the new year.
With no guarantees of the general public having access to receiving a vaccine any time soon, clinical trials are your best chance at receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. Not only do clinical trials afford yourself the opportunity to receive a vaccine months earlier, they also allow you to be a part of the bigger picture. Joining a COVID-19 Vaccine trial is a way of being part of the solution to this pandemic.
If you are interested in COVID-19 Vaccine trial participation check out our current studies below or call our office at 288-0890 to speak to one of our recruiters.
