Ochsner Health is one of 120 sites worldwide chosen to participate in phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine study with drugmaker Pfizer. Ochsner Principal Investigator Dr. Julia Garcia-Diaz says the selection comes as a result of its expertise and history in conducting clinical trials.
“One of the things that we pride ourselves in doing is bringing new therapeutic trials to our community and new innovations and this is part of that endeavor,” said Garcia-Diaz.
All participants accepted into the study will be randomized to receive either the vaccine or a placebo in the form of two shots, with a 50/50 distribution between the two. Neither the patients nor the investigators will know what they have received.
Garcia-Diaz says another factor that brought the study to Louisiana is its status as a COVID-19 hotspot.
“In communities that have high rates, that’s where you would want to have it so that you can see what the benefit and the positive impact is of the vaccine,” said Garcia-Diaz.
Globally, the study aims to enroll up to 30,000 participants. Ochsner will enroll a limited number of randomized participants selected from an existing pool of candidates who have previously expressed interest in COVID-19 research.
Garcia-Diaz says an exact timeline is unclear, but don’t expect the vaccine to be available anytime soon.
“The vaccine is months and months away from being available to patients and perhaps even into next year, so one of the things that we like to emphasize is wear masks and social distance,” said Garcia-Diaz.