Coronavirus vaccine trial: Two New Jersey hospitals are looking for volunteers

Lindy Washburn
NorthJersey.com

Two New Jersey medical institutions are recruiting volunteers to test a potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Hackensack University Medical Center and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School at University Hospital in Newark are among the 89 research sites nationwide selected to participate in a clinical trial of the vaccine developed by Moderna, a biotechnology company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  

The trial aims to recruit 30,000 volunteers that represent a diverse population and the people most at risk of becoming infected with the virus. So far, approximately 18% of the more than 13,000 volunteers recruited are Black, Latinx, American Indian or Alaskan Natives, the company said.

Moderna is recruiting volunteers to test a vaccine for COVID-19. This recruitment poster is from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

The vaccine does not cause the coronavirus, according to Moderna. It is made from a copy of the genetic code of the virus, and not from the whole virus. It is a Phase 3 trial – for safety and efficacy – sponsored by the National Institutes of Health in partnership with Moderna. More than 300 people have received the vaccine since March 2020 with no serious side effects, the company said.

The vaccine was developed as part of Operation Warp Speed, with $955 million from the U.S. government. The government has already arranged to purchase 100 million doses at a cost of $1.5 billion, if the trials are successful, with an option to procure an additional 400 million more. Americans would receive the vaccine at no charge.  

The vaccine is expected to trigger an immune response that targets the receptors on the spikes that give the coronavirus its name. Typically, the virus attaches itself to human cells and enters them via these crownlike spikes. But in people who have been vaccinated, the immune system would quickly recognize the virus and prevent or diminish its ability to bind with cells, thereby preventing infection or lessening its intensity.  

To be eligible, volunteers must be healthy, 18 years old or older with no known history of COVID-19. At the Rutgers-University Hospital site, priority will be given to racial and ethnic minorities, those over age 65, and essential workers, including health care and hospital workers, first responders, transit employees, factory employees, people who live in or work at residential institutions, and teachers and students. Pregnant or nursing women, and people with bleeding disorders, infections or immune disorders are not eligible.

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Participants will be randomly divided into two groups: half will receive the vaccine and the other half will receive a placebo. Each group will receive two injections in the arm muscle, 28 days apart. The total length of the study and follow-up is 25 months. 

In Newark, the follow-up will include six clinic visits and 25 phone calls. In Hackensack, the participants will receive safety calls as well as electronic diaries to monitor for adverse events and possible COVID-19 illness, a hospital statement said. Anyone who does become infected with COVID-19-like illness will be assessed further with lab tests and the hospital will help them receive care through their primary care provider.  

For more information, and to participate in the trial:

  • At Hackensack Meridian Health's Hackensack University Medical Center,  visit https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/covid19/
  • At Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and University Hospital in Newark, call (844) 782-6765 or email  thecovestudy@njms.rutgers.edu or go to @researchwithaheart on Facebook or Instagram.

Lindy Washburn is a senior healthcare reporter for NorthJersey.com. To keep up-to-date about how changes in the medical world affect the health of you and your family, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: washburn@northjersey.com Twitter: @lindywa