After weeks of anticipation, the UK’s first human coronavirus vaccine trial has finally started today.
The trial is being run by the University of Oxford, and involves 510 healthy participants, aged 18 to 55, who will either receive the vaccine or a control injection for comparison.
Now, one trial volunteer has spoken out, revealing that she’s nervous about taking part.
Lydia Guthrie, who will begin taking part in the Oxford vaccine trial a week today, told BBC Radio 4's The World At One programme: "They've (the clinical team) been very clear with participants about the potential risk and vaccine trials are very carefully regulated, so we've had to give explicit consent at every step of the way.
"They're really clear with us that as participants we can pull out at any time if we change our minds.
"I will receive either the new Covid-19 vaccine which they're trialling or I will receive a meningitis vaccine which is in quite wide use at the moment. That is what the control group are receiving.
"As far as I understand it, I will be asked just to go about my normal daily life complying with whatever the Government's guidance is about social distancing requirements."
Ms Guthrie added: "They are asking us to keep a diary about our response to the vaccine, any symptoms."
Asked whether she is scared about the process, she said: "I think I wouldn't be human if I didn't have some trepidation or nerves about it - I mean, at a really basic level, I don't really like needles."
She added: "I guess when I saw the advert looking for participants it felt to me like a small contribution I can make to this team of over 500 participants and scientists and clinicians working hard together to develop a vaccine."
While the trial officially begins today, the researchers say they’re remaining cautious when mapping out a timeline.
They explained: “The best-case scenario is that by the autumn of 2020 we could have an efficacy result from the phase III trial to show that the vaccine protects against the virus, alongside the ability to manufacture large amounts of the vaccine, but these best-case timeframes are highly ambitious and subject to change.”
