Ian Haydon, a volunteer in Moderna Therapeutics’ coronavirus vaccine trial, opened up to Stat News and admitted he had an adverse reaction to the experimental vaccine, but he’s not concerned about it:
“I understand that sharing the story, it’s going to be frightening to some people. I hope that it doesn’t fuel any sort of general antagonism towards vaccines in general or towards even this vaccine.” https://t.co/JJg9pDVB69
— STAT (@statnews) May 27, 2020
From Stat News:
Patients in clinical trials are usually faceless. But as the experimental Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Moderna Therapeutics has begun advancing through studies, it has found a much more visible advocate: trial volunteer Ian Haydon, a 29-year-old in Seattle.
Haydon has spoken about the vaccine on CNN and CNBC. He even said he’d volunteer to be exposed to the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, if researchers want to test to see if the vaccine was actually effective. But up until now he has left out a key detail: He is, apparently, one of three people in the trial who had a systemic adverse reaction to the vaccine.
Twelve hours after receiving his second dose, he developed a fever of more than 103 degrees, sought medical attention, and, after being released from an urgent care facility, fainted in his home. He recovered within a day.
You know, maybe the volunteers in this trial shouldn’t be going public and doing television interviews? Just a thought:
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Meet Ian Haydon, a volunteer in Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine trial. “This seemed like an obvious way I could step up and help out in a small way in this time of crisis.”
Tune in tonight at 7 p.m. ET for our special report: Markets in Turmoil. https://t.co/xbNbmx8xhr pic.twitter.com/mvAQMMQidV
— CNBC (@CNBC) May 19, 2020
We have one chance to get this right and he’s going public now only because he was public then:
Ian Haydon has volunteered to be part of a coronavirus vaccine trial.
"This is one way I can help… If stepping up and taking part in this clinical trial could speed up the vaccine, that seems like the right thing to do."
"I'm feeling well," he says. #CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/HIUKKVOLyV
— CNN (@CNN) May 8, 2020
His adverse reaction reportedly came on the second dose, a booster that was “10x what some others got”:
*deep breath*
So, I had a bit of an issue after getting my 2nd injection of a candidate COVID vaccine.
It was the highest dose — 10x what some others got. That high dose will no longer be tested.
I spoke abt it publicly for the 1st time: https://t.co/tSMH6Ost6L | @statnews
— ian haydon (@ichaydon) May 26, 2020
There's no failure here — this is a big reason why we do clinical trials. Doctors don't know the right dose ahead of time, and need to learn what's well tolerated.
Even safe meds can't be taken at 10x doses.
— ian haydon (@ichaydon) May 26, 2020
Other participants reported similar effects:
I haven't divulged all these details before bc:
1. For a while, it wasn't clear what happened to me.
2. I learned recently that 2 other high-dose participants may have had something similar.
3. It's hard to talk abt vaccine safety w/o triggering anti-vax ppl.
— ian haydon (@ichaydon) May 26, 2020
He remains “cautiously optimistic”:
The symptoms I experienced weren't life threatening. They're over, and I'm back to marathon training.
Vaccines are the single most important medicines we have. It's important to test them carefully — which is what's happening here.
I remain cautiously optimistic.
— ian haydon (@ichaydon) May 26, 2020
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