COVID-19 Update: Vax Trial Begins, Local Cases Rise
Post Date: June 25, 2020 | Publish Date:
COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Underway, Diverse Participants Sought
Cincinnati Children’s, one of four sites in the U.S. participating in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the BNT162 vaccine program to prevent COVID-19, has started to vaccinate its first set of patients. The candidate vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infection are from a joint development program by BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc.
The study arm at Cincinnati Children’s is led by Robert Frenck, MD, Director of the NIH-funded Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit (VTEU) and Vaccine Research Center. The program is a national leader in vaccine research and one of nine NIH VTEUs in the U.S. The program is testing vaccines for several global health challenges like Ebola, influenza and now COVID-19.
Cincinnati Children’s continues to enroll participants in the first stage of the study and is working to diversify the patient pool by actively recruiting underrepresented populations.
The effort is part of a broader initiative by the medical center to diversify its patient population for all clinical studies. The goal is to increase broader community access to new treatments and to enhance the scientific power of studies by ensuring study participants reflect the diverse nature of society, according to Lori Crosby, PsyD, Co-Director, Innovations in Community Research, Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology.
More information about the Pfizer vaccine trial
Meanwhile, our colleagues at UC Health and the University of Cincinnati have begun recruiting participants for another clinical trial to evaluate a vaccine candidate made by Moderna. If you are interested in participating, call 513-245-3417 or email UCcovidresearch@uchealth.com.
Read more about the Moderna trial
See Related Links
COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Underway at Cincinnati Children’s
Cincinnati Children’s begins trials for first COVID-19 vaccine
Blood donations underway to help Cincinnati Children’s researchers learn about COVID-19
Condition-Specific Guidelines for Coronavirus
Rising Local Cases Prompt Public Health Reminders
Recent state data reports indicate that parts of the Cincinnati area have seen increases in the numbers of positive test results and hospitalizations related to the novel coronavirus.
At the state, county and city level, officials are asking people to continue to wear masks, avoid crowds, and take other precautions.
Those seeking care at Cincinnati Children’s main campus or satellite facilities can click here for detailed information about safety precautions and procedures.
For parents and caregivers, here are some tips for how to encourage children to wear masks.
To see how Cincinnati compares to other cities during the pandemic, explore the COVID-19 Watcher, produced by researchers here.
