To find out if they work, they need volunteers.
Carla Garcia is one of them.
Before any vaccine was authorized by the government, Carla was one of the first in Southern California to volunteer for the vaccine trial at AstraZeneca – Oxford University.
“The reason why it is important for me to participate is because there is not much information that comes out of clinical trials or otherwise about black people,” she said.
COVID-19 affects African Americans, Latinos and other ethnic groups disproportionately. But research shows that vaccine hesitation is greater in these groups.
“There has to be some involvement of the black population, the Latin population and other minority cultures in the process itself, so that we can get the same benefits from the results.”
AstraZeneca’s approach is already used in pneumonia and herpes zoster vaccines. The researchers modified a common cold virus to transport the genetic material COVID-19 to the body. The first phase three tests show that the AstraZeneca vaccine proved 90% effective in those who received a full dose and a half dose a month later.
“Just like a flu shot, there was a pain in the arm the next day. It looked a lot like that.”
To vaccinate 70-80% of Americans, many other companies need to produce vaccines. Others in the pipeline include Johnson and Johnson, Sanofi and Novavax.
“With everything that’s going on. It’s important for us to see where we can make an impact and where we can really make a difference.”
With the increase in cases and mortality rates, Carla – who works at a plasma donation center – worries about her colleagues in the health area.
“It is a tragedy to see where we are in terms of the absolute number of people who are sick.
Carla hopes that her example will encourage more minorities to participate.
More information about vaccine trials is available on the US National Institutes of Health’s COVID-19 Prevention Network.
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