RESEARCHERS have thanked the people of Tayside and Fife after an overwhelming response for Coronavirus vaccine volunteers
Over 5,500 people responded to a request for participants by the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside who co-lead the second phase 3 of clinical trials.
The vaccination team say they were only looking for 400 members of the public for the study which they say could “play a pivotal role in reducing Covid-19 rates around the world.”
Participants are receiving two injections of the trial vaccine, separated by a gap of 57 days.
The vaccinations are taking place at the Clinical Research Centre (CRC), located at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
Follow-up visits are taking place at the Ninewells CRC or the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, whichever is closer to where the volunteer resides.
Following their initial injection, participants are being asked to complete a daily diary via a mobile phone app, monitoring their response to the trial vaccine.
Professor Jacob George from the University of Dundee’s School of Medicine and R&D Director for NHS Tayside, said, “The response from the public has been very welcome and encouraging to the research team.
“To make this trial a success we have required as broad a cross-section of the population as possible, and to have more than 5,500 people come forward has been hugely beneficial to our work.
“Although we are beginning to see the rollout of vaccines in the UK, which is fantastic news, the world will require several different vaccines to control the spread of this virus and that is why the work we are conducting here is so crucial.
“We cannot do that without the help of the people of Tayside and Fife, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has shown interest in being involved.”
Covid-19 vaccine trials in Scotland are being supported by the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office, and NHS Research Scotland (NRS), working closely with the National Institute for Health Research and UK Vaccines Taskforce.
Dr Philp Short, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Ninewells Hospital, said, “To be involved with this trial is a huge honour and a tribute to the R&D capabilities of NHS Tayside and the University.
“We welcomed our first volunteers just days after beginning our recruitment drive and our ability to do that is a testament not only to the facilities we have here, but to the support we have from the local population. We would like to thank everyone who contacted us.”
