Researchers in Germany say they are surprised at the high number of people willing to serve as guinea pigs to help test a vaccine for the coronavirus after they were inundated with thousands of volunteers for the trial of an experimental drug.
Around 4,000 people have so far signed up to test the effectiveness of a potential Covid-19 vaccine being developed by the biopharmaceutical company CureVac.
The large volume of volunteers took the research team, which usually struggles to find willing participants for its studies, by surprise.
Peter Kremsner, one of the study’s directors, told the DPA news agency: “It’s a real luxury situation, unlike usual clinical trials.
“Normally we have trouble coming up with enough test subjects,” he added.
The clinical study began last month at University Hospital in Tuebingen, near the southern German city of Stuttgart.
Mr Kremsner said around 50 people had already been given the experimental drug and none had shown surprising side effects.
The trial intends to test 168 people, meaning many of the would-be volunteers will not take part.
Similar tests, however, are due to take place in the German cities of Munich and Hanover, as well as in Ghent, Belgium. The first results are expected in August.
CureVac, which is headquartered in Tuebingen, specialises in developing a type of vaccine that uses molecules known as mRNA to encourage cells in the body to produce the same proteins found in the novel coronavirus. The vaccinated patient’s body then recognises the protein as foreign and will respond with antibodies, resulting in immunity to the virus.
The German government has given strong backing to the CureVac vaccine, announcing last month that it would acquire a stake in the company worth €300 million (Dh1.2 billion).
The government, like many others around the world, is counting on a vaccine to help it beat the virus and begin to undo the economic damage wrought by the pandemic.
Willingness to try new vaccine declining in Europe
Despite the stronger than expected response to the clinical trial, a growing number of Europeans are undecided about whether they would get vaccinated against the virus when an effective drug is available.
Some 7,000 people in Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Portugal were surveyed on their attitudes to a potential vaccine in April and June, Germany's Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Sunday.
Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of those who responded in April indicated they would be willing to be vaccinated. Researchers found that proportion had dropped to 68 per cent in June.
The waning enthusiasm among respondents was particularly clear in Germany, where willingness to take a new vaccine dropped from 70 per cent to 61 per cent.
Jonas Schreyogg of the University of Hamburg, which worked with several other European institutions to carry out the survey, said however that only a small number of respondents were outright opposed to vaccination.
"These people are not the problem," he told Suddeutsche Zeitung.
But the increasing number of people who are on the fence about taking a new vaccine for Covid-19 poses a challenge to European governments and scientists alike, who have all identified effective immunisation as central to allowing a return to pre-pandemic norms.
Mr Schreyogg was optimistic that scientists and researchers could work to convince those who were unsure of the safety or potential side effects of the new vaccine.
“On the positive side, this means that the willingness to get vaccinated could be significantly increased if we succeed in giving these people more security,” he said.
Transparency in the testing and approval process as well as public education campaigns would both be vital to persuading Europeans to come down from the fence in favour of vaccination, he added.
GREATEST ROYAL RUMBLE CARD
The line-up as it stands for the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on April 27
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns
Casket match
The Undertaker v Rusev
Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Bludgeon Brothers v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship
Sheamus and Cesaro v Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy
United States Championship
Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
Singles match
Triple H v John Cena
To be confirmed
AJ Styles will defend his WWE World Heavyweight title and Cedric Alexander his Cruiserweight Championship, but matches have yet to be announced
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
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New schools in Dubai
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets