ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Researchers at both Saint Louis University and Washington University schools of medicine are about to begin testing several COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The vaccine studies will enroll about 3,000 volunteers for each trial.
"Saint Louis University, as well as Washington University, will be participating in phase 3 efficacy vaccine trials here in the St. Louis area in the very near future," said Dr. Sharon Frey, the clinical director of Saint Louis University's Center for Vaccine Development -- and principal investigator of the trial at SLU. "We are working together to enroll volunteers into separate studies and are very excited to be participating in these studies and hope that the whole community is as excited as we are."
So what are Phase 3 efficacy trials?
"Efficacy trials mean we are looking to determine whether or not the vaccines will prevent disease, or if not prevent the disease, lessen the severity of the disease," Dr. Frey tells KMOX.
"It would be wonderful if we could get a vaccine that prevented you from getting infected at all but what we really need is a vaccine that prevents people from getting sick -- even if they are exposed to COVID," said Dr. Rachel Presti, associate professor of medicine and director of Washington University's Infectious Disease Clinical Research Unit. "And so efficacy studies are to show that people don't get sick when they're being exposed to COVID-19."
There are several possible vaccine candidates out there.
"We can't say exactly which vaccines will be studied here, but the COVID-19 Prevention Network is anticipating running at least five different vaccine studies -- and so both universities will have opportunities to participate in several of these studies and we expect that they're going to be starting actually very soon," said Dr. Presti.
Researchers say it will be critically important to enroll volunteers who are likely to be exposed to COVID-19 or those at risk for severe disease from COVID-19.
"If you're over 18 and you are potentially being exposed to COVID-19, we are interested in having you in these vaccine studies," said Dr. Presti.
Both Dr. Frey and Dr. Presti say it will be important to enroll participants over the age of 65 -- who are hit hardest by the virus.
Saint Louis University and Washington University will share additional information about the trials as it becomes available.
For more information about vaccine trials at Washington University School of Medicine, please email idcru@wustl.edu or call 314-454-0058. For more information about vaccine trials at Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development, please visit http://vaccine.slu.edu; call 314-977-6333 or 1-866-410-6333; or email vaccine@slu.edu.