Just had a voicemail from St Thomas' hospital about the Janssen Ensemble 2 study that people here have mentioned.
I am very much having second and third thoughts now...
First, I hate medical procedures - it always takes three different nurses/doctors and three laborious attemps to have any blood taken; might have to ask iona to be my personal phlebotomist!
Second, I am quite happy avoiding the outside world, so throwing myself into high-risk covid environments like a hospital without medical necessity...I am not sure...
Third, is there any point if I might have to unblind myself in a few months time anyway when I will hopefully be offered one of the current vaccines? (Actually, I think that got answered upthread, that even doing it for a few months might still provide useful data).
Forth, but actually possibly first, something I don't want to discuss here.
Fifth, what Poot mentioned about future vaccinations. Just read an article by a man in his 70s today who was on a trial, got unblinded after being offered the vaccine, turns out he had the trial vaccince (I think Janssen as for this study) for which efficacy isn't yet known, but there is uncertainty about how good it would be to have another different vaccine on top of it immediately.
So the only thing in the "pro" column is feeling useful. All I have been able to contribute to the pandemic fighting efforts so far is to isolate the hell out of myself to try and not catch and spread the virus...
Oh, and the 50/50 chance of getting a (hopefully efficacious) vaccine several months before I otherwise might.
Do you know,
Poot and
iona how many appointments you are expected to attend?
Hmmm, I think I am leaning quite strongly towards no atm, especially as this study seems mainly to research a different dosage regime, if I understand correctly, and the "main" study for the single dose vaccine is all but completed.
^^^Composed this post earlier this afternoon and am now wobbling a bit more again, maybe wanting to do it. So right now my uppermost concern would be the risk of catching covid in a healthcare setting.
They did ask in their voicemail for me to call back, or to text if I am no longer interested, so I feel I should make a decision and let them know in the morning.