JACKSONVILLE, Fla — A COVID-19 vaccine is getting closer to being available for everyone. Clinical researchers are starting studies on vaccines in Jacksonville.
Inside the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research, it looks like a regular doctor's office but Dr. Michael Koren is doing research that could change our lives.
"We are now doing vaccine studies," Dr. Koren explained. "These vaccine studies are ways of giving patients a therapy that will prevent them from getting the virus and getting sick."
He says they'll be testing 200 to 2,000 people. They are testing multiple different vaccines from 12 manufacturers.
You often hear about vaccines being an inactivated virus given to people which allows the body to create an immune response. Koren says the coronavirus vaccines don’t work like that.
“All you have to do is give the genetic code to the body to produce antibodies against the key protein from the virus. So our current vaccines are exploiting this technology," he said.
He says they are doing phase 2 and 3 research which means the vaccine has already been tested on humans. He says they know it’s safe. Now they want to know how long it will last and keep you immune from COVID-19.
“A lot of vaccines have already been developed. It’ll take a year to really know if it works," he explained.
JCCR has a database of volunteers but if you want to volunteer, contact them. You can head to it's website and to read more. There is a signup page to enlist in their database, which the website says they currently have 54,000 people signed up.
You can also call at 904-730-0166. Signing up for their database does not promise you a spot in the trial. Staff will determine if you are a good fit for any of the clinical trials.
Koren says there are several reasons people want to be a part of a trial like this.
"One reason is they want to contribute to science, they want to be a part of this process of helping people around the world fight off the coronavirus COVID-19," he said. "That’s the number one motivation. Number 2 is they may have certain fears for themselves.”
Another benefit is the quality of care you receive. Koren says a nurse will pay close attention to your medical history and track your progress.
You may even get paid for taking part. Koren did not go into details regarding potential pay and how much, saying they do not want that to be the reason people participate.