The largely un-publicized effort follows an announcement through the Ministry of Defence in September that he has partnered with AstraZeneca to recruit volunteers.
This article was published on Friday, November 6, 2020 on Kaiser Health News.
By Patricia Kime
The Department of Veterans Affairs is recruiting 8,000 volunteers for Phase 3 clinical trials of at least 4 COVID-19 vaccine applicants at 20 federal medical services in the United States, VA and Operation Warp say Speed, the Trump administration’s initiative to track a vaccine opposed to coronavirus.
The effort, largely private, follows an announcement through the Ministry of Defence in September that it has partnered with AstraZeneca to recruit volunteers at five of its medical facilities, which are separated from the VA system.
The DOD is also in talks with developers of other candidate vaccines, officials do not say which ones.
Both federal departments enjoy medical studies and population diversity, a component of effective clinical trials, said J. Stephen Morrison, senior vice president and director of global fitness policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan Washington DC expert group
Since active troops are essential for national security and veterans are incredibly vulnerable to COVID-19, either department has a strong interest in supporting the progression and effectiveness of vaccines, Morrison said.
“In the active army aspect of the Department of Defense and women, it’s about making sure they’re ready, that they’re protected,” Morrison said. “With the VA, its population, all the elderly and sick with underlying diseases, they may simply suffer if they don’t get vaccinated. “
According to a VA website, of the 20 medical centers involved, 17 would be from the Johnson vaccine trial.
Dr Matthew Hepburn, head of vaccine progression at Operation Warp Speed, said VA’s effort allows veterans to contribute to the country’s overall well-being.
“This is how they can continue to serve in this way, through the fight against the pandemic as volunteers,” Hepburn said in a discussion about vaccine progression and curative product organized through the Heritage Foundation on October 27.
It is not up to the army to participate in multicenter trials to remedy diseases as varied as cancer and trauma. Historically, many vaccines were first tested through the military.
In the general population, doctors struggle to recruit African-Americans and other minorities for medical research, and “the military provides a great opportunity to locate volunteers for those groups,” the vice-adm said. Retired. Thomas Cullison, physician and former assistant general surgeon of the Navy.
Military exercise facilities meet the same criteria as personal institutions, he said.
No member of the service shall be required to participate in COVID vaccine trials. All volunteers will be remunerated through the developer.
Support for the vaccination regimen is higher in the military, however, some have expressed fears about new vaccines and mandatory inoculations, i. e. against anthrax. In a 2002 federal study, 85% of those who won this vaccine reported an adverse reaction, with just under part noting a slight redness at the injection site, but nearly a quarter of the reported side effects were more systemic, adding fever, chills, fatigue and joint pain.
This survey by a small national guard and Reserve member organization found that while 73% said they believed vaccines were effective, two-thirds said they did not follow the mandatory anthrax program and 6 out of 10 said they were not happy with the data they were. vaccines.
In order to dispel considerations about the role of the military in supporting the progression of the COVID vaccine, the Pentagon has reiterated that troops or their dependents interested in participating in the studies should provide their voluntary written consent and will not be allowed to participate only if they will be in the same position for the duration of the studies , which shall have a minimum duration of two years.
In addition, active duty members, such as new recruits and participants in educational camps, may volunteer because they are “considered ethically and regulatoryly vulnerable,” one official said.
At the VA, the government will recruit healthy veterans between the ages of 18 and 65 who are not pregnant and possibly at risk. As with trials in civilian installations, participants will receive payment through the developer, VA spokeswoman Christina Noel said. .
In addition, VA nurses and social staff are also encouraged to identify patients with diseases and at peak risk who deserve to be at their best once a vaccine is approved, according to a VA nurse and other fitness officers who have requested not to be identified because they were not allowed to speak to the press.
The U. S. military has not been able to do so. But it’s not the first time He has long contributed to vaccine research, a key role in the progression of yellow fever and adenovirus vaccines, and the Walter Reed Army Research Institute is developing its own coronavirus vaccine.
Some segments of the population remain skeptical of federal medical experiments. A survey conducted through AP-NORC in May found that blacks are reluctant to be vaccinated against coronavirus. Many are involved in federal studies on the component due to associations with the tuskegee Institute’s notorious syphilis experiments, in which American public fitness officials deliberately refused to cure black men inflamed by the disease.
But Morrison, from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Department of Defense and VA are a “natural fit” for COVID vaccine trials.
“The DOD has a great experience. They know how to vaccinate; know how to succeed in communities. They have a total clinical infrastructure and an infrastructure of studies and progression. And when you think of VA’s mission, [VA] sees that as a component of its mission,” Morrison said.
The Ministry of Defence announced its agreement with AstraZeneca in September, shortly before the drug manufacturer’s vaccine trial was discontinued to examine a serious disease reported through a participant, a study approved through the Food and Drug Administration and resumed on 23 October. to resume their efforts to recruit 3,000 volunteers.
The Pentagon also signed an agreement with the vaccine developer, the head of the Health Defense Agency, Army Lieutenant General Ronald Place, told reporters on October 8, that he will not answer the company’s call.
Democrats Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii have unsuccessfully joined the Senate Armed Services Committee to investigate what they say is a lack of transparency from the Pentagon about its role in the progression and distribution of the vaccine.
The Department of Defense has awarded more than $6 billion in Contracts for Operation Warp Speed through an intermediary, Advanced Technology International, and the two senators need more data on the contracts.
“Department of Defense officials would possibly play a valuable role in [Operation Warp Speed], especially given the department’s logistical capabilities,” they wrote to the committee chairman and the rank member. “But Congress conducts proper oversight and understands the activities of the Department of Defense in this area. “
Neither branch disclosed the monetary arrangements they made with the developers for vaccine research.
Kaiser Health News is a national fitness policy news service that is part of the non-component foundation of the Henry J Family Circle. Kaiser.
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