Minnesotans Can Enroll In COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

Minneapolis MN

02 September, 2020

11:31 AM

Description

BLOOMINGTON, MN —HealthPartners Wednesday announced that it will be enrolling at least 1,500 people in a clinical trial that will determine whether a vaccine developed by Oxford University is effective at preventing coronavirus. Researchers from the HealthPartners Institute will oversee the trial enrollment in partnership with physicians from across the organization's care system. HealthPartners is the only health system in Minnesota and one of about 100 sites in the U.S., Peru and Chile involved in the clinical trial, which is led by AstraZeneca, according to a news release. Participate in the study To participate in the study, people need to be 18 years of age or older. Researchers are particularly interested in enrolling those who have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19, such as health care workers, first-responders, and food service workers. They will also enroll people who work in other close contact professions, like grocery and meat-packing industries. Study details This is a randomized placebo controlled, double-blind study, the most rigorous approach to testing vaccines and other drugs. Roughly two-thirds of enrollees will receive the vaccine, one third will receive a placebo. Participants won't know whether they received the experimental vaccine until after the trial is done. Learn about how to participate in the study here.