It is 645 am and I’m tired, hungry and waiting to have my vitals taken and 10 vials of blood drawn with 20 other participants and a handful of nurses and technicians. Today begins the inpatient portion of a medical study I have been participating in since September; VXA-Chal 201. This will be the first post in a series documenting what it’s like to be a guinea pig and participate in a serious medical study. I’ll try to post once or twice a day to document what’s going on and how I’m doing.
What is VXA-Chal 201? It is a flu vaccine challenge study, which is to say, a study wherein a new flu vaccine is being administered and you are later “challenged” by being exposed to a modified version of the virus to test the effectiveness of the vaccine. It is a double blind, controlled study which means the doctor and staff administering the study have no knowledge of whether any individual received the new vaccine, the current vaccine on the market or a placebo and also that all other factors that can affect the outcome are being monitored or controlled.
So why am I choosing to get poked and prodded and exposed to the flu on purpose? As the founder of The Lab Fitness Studio and a personal trainer, I believe in science and the scientific method as the best and most reliable way to learn about our bodies and how to become and stay healthy. Participating in such a precise and controlled medical study is a great way of learning how quality medical studies are conducted, their strengths and weaknesses, and to contribute to the effort to keep people from getting sick. Of course the pay isn’t bad either LOL.I also believe in vaccines and how much they have helped rid the world of countless diseases, that, once upon a time, we’re death sentences. If you are not pro-vaccine, I believe you will still get a lot out of reading these posts, at the very least, to shed some light on the process by which they are tested and to understand them better as well.
Back to today… Today is the check-in day for part B of the study: Part A was the initial screening in September followed by receiving the vaccine or placebo and Part B is where we are exposed to the virus & confined for 6-10 days, and some follow up visits in the months after. I had to fast last night in preparation for a large blood draw so I’m starving not to mention we had to be here at the ungodly hour of 6am which meant waking up at 430am so I’m tired too! We havnt been assigned our rooms yet, but I’m assuming that will be the last part of check-in after we have done all of our tests.
Currently, I’ve submitted a urine sample, had my blood pressure and pulse ox taken and and had an ECG. Still have a few tests to do and about 10 people ahead of me.
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