DENVER -- Doctors at UCHealth said Friday that by Monday, they estimate over a thousand people from the Rocky Mountain region will be participating in their AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine study.
In late November, federal health regulators gave the pharmaceutical company approval to continue the trial after the vaccine was cleared from causing any adverse side effects.
"The trial, overall, is going well," said UCHealth Principal Investigator, Dr. Gary Luckasen.
For every three people enrolled, two will receive a vaccine dose and one, the placebo; "...then, they'll be followed with bloodwork and routine physicals," said Luckasen.
During the entire trial, doctors will monitor the participants to see if anyone contracts COVID-19 from community spread.
When and if a participant contracts the novel coronavirus, doctors will monitor how the COVID-19 disease progresses in the individual.
UCHealth primary care physician, Erika Norris, chose to participate in the study while evacuating Estes Park amid October's wildfires.
"Yeah, driving the Front Range with those brown clouds looming above the mountains, [I was] flipping through my phone, noticed the trial that UCHealth is involved with and just thought, 'Yep. I'm signing up.'"
She added, "I really wanted to be helpful in some way to help bring the pandemic under control."
UCHealth shared that they are hopeful to find more Black and Latinx study participants. Those interested can click here.
