Finding Solutions to Overcoming COVID-19

We have all been impacted by COVID-19, and by joining together to protect our families and communities, we can overcome this challenge. Part of the solution is coming up with an effective vaccine. History has shown that vaccines can be incredibly useful in reducing disease spread and sometimes even eradicating the disease all together. Part of the work to achieve an effective vaccine are human clinical trials. And, this is where you and your community come in.

The COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) is seeking volunteers for their COVID-19 Vaccine Trials. The vaccine development is being co-directed by the AntiViral Research Center at UC San Diego in partnership with AstraZeneca. Below are links to more information from the Network.

• COVID-19 Vaccine Trials: CoVPN is looking for adults aged 18 and older and people who are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 to participate. The first trial sponsored by AstraZeneca is scheduled to begin on September 1.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Community Forum: Please join CoVPN for a weekly community forum to discuss the current COVID-19 vaccine trials in San Diego. The same content will be presented each week, in order to allow the most amount of community members to learn and ask questions about the vaccine trials. Our first forum is on August 26 at 5pm. Two of the four forums will be presented in Spanish.

Please feel free to distribute these links widely throughout your networks. If you have any questions about these efforts and/or want flyers to post, please feel free to contact Marvin Hanashiro, Community Outreach Coordinator mhanashiro@health.ucsd.edu

About the COVID-19 Prevention Network

The COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) was formed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) to respond to the global pandemic. Using the infectious disease expertise of their existing research networks and global partners, NIAID has directed the networks to address the pressing need for vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2. UCSD is part of this network, and has been selected to conduct COVID-19 clinical trials in Southern California (in San Diego and Imperial Valley counties). You can learn more about the national CoVPN by visiting their website: https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/.