COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials to begin in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The race for a COVID-19 vaccine is underway and now Southern Coloradans can help.
A Colorado Springs research firm and UCHealth have been selected for vaccine trials and are looking for volunteers.
The vaccine for COVID-19 could be the answer many of us have been looking for, but it'll take about two years before we know if it'll move forward.
Dr. Ripley Hollister will lead Colorado Springs in its first clinical trial for a vaccine developed by the biotech company Moderna.
"Half of the people will receive the investigational product and half will receive a placebo," he said.
It's a huge responsibility, but one he says the Lynn Institute can tackle.
"Getting a Phase III environment is highly competitive among various investigators so the Lynn Institute had to go through a series of steps to ensure we could handle the process," said Dr. Hollister.
UCHealth and CU School of Medicine will also take part in the trial and will enroll 1,000 patients, while the Lynn Institute will be looking for about 200.
"They generally need to be healthy and over the age of 18. If they have minor chronic illnesses such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, even chronic lung disease we're very concerned about protecting these people so they can be included in the study," he said.
The trial will focus on people who are most at-risk for contracting COVID-19.
"[We're looking for] people who have occupations that put them at risk or other circumstances that put them at risk," said Dr. Thomas Campbell, an infectious disease physician at the CU School of Medicine and University of Colorado Hospital.
This vaccine doesn't have the virus in it. Patients will instead journal their symptoms and do check-ups with researchers.
"Part of this study is to monitor for the number of people who develop COVID-19 during the process hopefully to prove this vaccine is going to help them," Dr. Hollister said.
According to him, a side affect is that the injection site may be sore and the patient may experience fatigue, although he says the benefits outweigh the risks.
Potential participants will be contacted through UCHealth’s My Health Connection patient portal and invited to participate if they meet the criteria for the trial.
Volunteers at the Lynn Institute could get compensation for their role in the study. If you'd like more information on how to volunteer visit here, or contact the Lynn call center at 719-224-9044.
