A phase three clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine is underway in Kentucky. “It’s an opportunity for all Kentuckians, all Americans to do the right thing to eliminate this evil,” said Dr. Rick Greenburg, UK Healthcare’s infectious disease expert with four decades of experience in vaccine development, leads this local effort. The university is partnering with Baptist Health Lexington and Norton Healthcare in Louisville to run the phase three clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine candidate compared to a placebo.
Dr. Greenburg said the three Kentucky sites expect to enroll about two thousand volunteers who are most at-risk. “60 and older, healthcare workers, nursing home workers, factory workers, daycare workers, restaurant workers and their patrons, grocery store clerks, school and educational workers, those people on the front line, in the public a lot. And of course, since COVID is causing the most harm to the black and Latin communities, we especially hope to engage them.”
The Baptist Health Lexington arm of the study is led by Dr. David Dougherty, an infectious disease specialist, along with a clinical research team. “We are proud to partner with other providers to bring the latest innovations in healthcare and wellness to our communities,” said William G. Sisson, president of Baptist Health Lexington.
In Louisville, the Norton Healthcare arm of the study is led by infectious disease specialist and system epidemiologist Dr. Paul Schulz.“Norton Healthcare has one of the largest community healthcare system-based research portfolios in the country, and we know our employees and members of the community will step up to this opportunity to participate,” Schulz said.
The vaccine has been developed by Jansen Pharmaceutical Companies of Jonson & Johnson. Participants will be monitored for two years and receive compensation for time and travel. If you would like to be considered for the trial, log on to stop covid ky dot com.
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