COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is looking for 500 adults for a clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In a release, the hospital said it will be a test site as part of a multi-center 30,000 person study for the vaccine that was developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, which is a biopharmaceutical company.
The trial will look at how well the vaccine can protect people from COVID-19.
The study is looking for people who have a higher risk of exposure to the virus such as teachers, first responders, college students, factory workers, restaurant employees and people 65 or older.
People who participate in the double-blind study will either receive the vaccine, called AZD1222, or a placebo.
They will have blood drawn and then follow up with doctors for two years.
“We’re thrilled that Ohio State can bring this COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial to central Ohio,” said Dr. Rama Mallampalli, chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
The hospital said in the release, "Results from a large early-stage clinical trial in the United Kingdom show the experimental vaccine is safe and prompts a strong immune response, producing both antibodies and T-cells, which find and attack virus cells."
Those interested in volunteering for the trial can apply here.