UNC Health recruiting 500 volunteers for coronavirus vaccine trial

"There are multiple studies, but the goal is to find which [potential vaccines] are effective and make those available to people at risk and, frankly, everyone if we have enough vaccine to do so," said Dr. Cindy Gay, the principal investigator for UNC Health's trial.

Susan Pederson, clinical director at UNC Health's Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, said it’s critical that trial participants reflect the people most impacted or at-risk for the virus in North Carolina.

"We most are interested in finding people of color who will be at risk because of COVID-19, people with underlying health conditions that also make them at risk for adverse outcomes," Pederson said.

The Latino community makes up less than 10 percent of North Carolina's population but accounts for 38 percent of the state's coronavirus infections. Similarly, nearly one-third of the state's fatalities during the pandemic were Black individuals, although that race accounts for 22 percent of the state's population.

"Those who are at risk have a chance to benefit from the vaccine, if it's effective, and [it can] also benefit those around them, including their families and their larger communities," Gay said.

Gay acknowledged that minority communities don't always trust medical researchers, and people might not want to sign up for the clinical trial. But she said it's important for them to trust that UNC Health, which already works with Black and Latino communities statewide, has their best interest at heart.

"We hear, still hear, the words 'guinea pig' thrown around a lot within research, but that's not why we're appealing to them," she said. "We want them to benefit from the advances we're making in vaccines and treatment and be a part of that."

Participation in the study has no effect on people's everyday lives, Gay said, noting they don't have to quarantine or separate themselves from their families or co-workers. Participants also can earn up to $1,325, based on completed visits and study activities.

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The only people who cannot take part are those who have already been infected by the virus, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and people with acute illnesses or weakened immune systems, researchers said.

"Really, the risk comes down to people who are in contact with other people on a frequent basis for whatever reason. Those are the individuals who seem to be at the highest risk," Gay said. "So, we are trying to prioritize [them in the study] both for their benefit, if the vaccine is effective, and so we can get an answer as soon as possible about whether the vaccine is effective."

"We're not going to get back to normal if we're all spectators and there's not folks who are willing to step up, including ourselves," said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease specialist at UNC. "It's really important for us to work as a community and individually to protect ourselves, protect our neighbors, protect our loved ones, and we're not going to be able to do that unless some of us step up and say, 'You know, I'm willing to be involved in that study. I think it's important to find this.'"