UM Miller School Of Medicine Looking For 1,000 Volunteers For Coronavirus Vaccine Trial
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - On Monday, Pfizer announced that their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90 percent effective.
On Friday, President Donald Trump announced it will soon be available throughout the nation.
"As soon as April, the vaccine will be available to the entire general population with the exception of the state of New York," said President Trump during an address to the nation from the Rose Garden at the White House.
Pfizer's vaccine will have to be stored at minus 80 degrees celsius (-112 degrees Fahrenheit) and is administered in two dosages.
However, there are other ongoing coronavirus vaccination trials that will not need to be refrigerated.
"There is a lot of COVID studies going on. First of all, there are other vaccines we have to test and I do hope all the vaccines are safe and effective," said Olveen Carrasquillo, MD.
Dr. Carrasquillo says the Jannsen vaccine trial-one study is ongoing at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
"We are doing a study on another vaccine which is only one dose instead of two dosages and it also doesn't need to be refrigerated. Which is going to be much easier to transfer because it does not need to keep in freezing like temperatures like the Pfizer vaccine does. "
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Dr. Carrasquillo says they are still looking for a thousand more participants to enroll. But the results are looking promising.
"We have not had any major complaints. One thing we have to be vigilant about is anyone who gets any covid like symptoms we have to test them right away. That's the only way we will know it's effective."
Marilyn Strauss Diaz was one of the first people to volunteer for the Jannsen trial in Miami. She received her dose back in September
"When they first gave me the dose I went home, I went to work in the yard, and I did get a slight headache, but I could not determine if it was what they gave me or I was just dehydrated. So that's the only thing I felt the first night," said Diaz.
Marilyn was given a pulse oximeter and a thermometer through a UM App, where she reports any of her symptoms twice a week, as well as her oxygen levels and temperature.
She visits the hospital on a regular basis.
But how is she doing now that two months have passed?
"I have not felt anything like I told you. I keep on telling them you gave me the placebo because I am feeling too well. But I am just feeling very well. So if I did get the vaccine, I am very confident in this particular vaccine."
Marilyn is a wife and a mother to 3 children.
While her family was concerned, she says, "I want to see a cure. I want to see the world be able to go forward and not have to continue in this terrible pandemic."
Again, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is looking for more volunteers for this trial.
They need a total of a thousand more, and they are hoping to have those by January.
If you are interested in signing up you can go to their website here.
