Thousands volunteer for Coronavirus vaccination trials

[GRALISTAIR]

A few thousand are volunteering to be exposed according to this article.

Vaccine research: Thousands of people want to be exposed to Covid-19 for science

Rohrig is one of more than 16,000 people -- most of them young adults -- who have signaled their support for a controversial method of speeding up the development of a vaccine by intentionally infecting dozens of volunteers. The signees of the online registry -- a new website called 1 Day Sooner -- have all checked a box next to the statement: "I am interested in being exposed to the coronavirus to speed up vaccine development."

 

[Bletchleyite]

I would be willing, but as I'm 40 and have (mild) asthma I don't come under the WHO's criteria for this being used ethically.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Although a scientist I am too old -63- and have had pneumonia twice in the last 20 years so I am above average risk anyway. Coupled that with the fact my wife is a lifelong asthmatic and thus very high risk I am not volunteering either.

 

[Yew]

I've signed up.

 

[JonathanP]

It will be interesting to see if any such trials are judged ethically justifiable. Up till now what I heard is that this is unlikely. As a layman it's a bit difficult to follow the science, but as I understand it a 'bad' vaccine doesn't simply not work, it can make things worse. This is because it can cause an uneven immune response, where for instance cells to trap the virus are generated, but no antibodies are produced to subsequently kill it.