Opinion: Challenge trials can speed development of a Covid-19 vaccine. Planning for them needs to start now
Human challenge trials, also known as controlled human infection models, are an essential tool for developing new vaccines. But unless we start preparing now for Covid-19 challenge trials by quickly manufacturing an unadulterated version of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, they might not be available in time to develop a vaccine against it.
Why on earth would anyone volunteer to be deliberately infected with a disease-causing pathogen, and even receive an experimental vaccine? I’ve been hearing a range of reasons from the 26,000-plus people from more than 100 countries that 1Day Sooner, an organization I helped found, has already registered to participate in a Covid-19 challenge trial down the road.
