To test the effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine among college students, a number of universities in the US have pledged to take part in a new clinical trial dubbed “Prevent COVID U.”
The University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina are among the 20-plus schools that will help in evaluating the efficacy of the Moderna vaccine in preventing virus infection and transmission among students.
Around 12,000 college student volunteers between 18 and 26 will participate in the initiative, where they will be monitored for five months.
People identified as “close contacts” of participants will also be invited to take part in the trial, where researchers will examine their COVID-19 tests and take blood samples.
“The new trial will tell us whether a person can become infected after they’ve been vaccinated and if the vaccine will stop the virus from spreading person-to-person,” Dr. Larry Corey, one of the study leaders, explained.
“The answers to these questions have implications for public health and will allow us to make more science-based decisions about mask use and social distancing post-vaccination – especially when new variants are emerging,” he added.
The trial — which will require students to fill out virtual questionnaires, receive nose swabs, and give periodic blood samples — is funded by the Federal COVID-19 Response Program and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Participants to Be Paid
The official website of “Prevent COVID U” explains that students who participate in the new trial will receive compensation for their “time and inconvenience.”
How much participants receive for the trial will depend on the length of their visit and which procedures they undergo.
“The details about compensation will be explained when a person goes through the informed consent process at a local clinic to join a study,” Prevent COVID U writer on its website.