"It felt just like getting a flu shot."
Six simple questions about the COVID-19 vaccine trial, answered by participant Ashley Locke.
Six simple questions about the COVID-19 vaccine trial, answered by participant Ashley Locke.
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00:00So what questions would you have for someone who's recently taken the COVID vaccine?
00:04Oh, is your arm sore? You know, did you get feverish afterwards?
00:08If they feel safer, you know, being out and about.
00:12I would ask where they got it, how they got it.
00:14I definitely understand that there is a lot of fear surrounding the vaccine.
00:19People have questions with how quickly it's been made or with who is putting it out.
00:30I'm a part of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial.
00:45I actually got my injection right here. You can't really even tell.
00:49As a child, I used to faint at the doctor all the time.
00:52So I was a little bit nervous about that, but that didn't happen.
00:56Thankfully, it felt just like getting a flu shot.
00:58I just did some testing where they took my weight. I did a pregnancy test.
01:04I had my nose and throat checked. They drew some blood, and then I received the vaccine.
01:10And then after that was when they gave me my study packet that had information.
01:15My thermometer, I use it every single day.
01:19And if there are any temperature changes, I want to let them know immediately.
01:24And then I also have this ruler that they gave me.
01:27Sometimes people will have a reaction around the injection site,
01:30and they just want you to measure that if that happens to you.
01:34I think that the thing most people would be surprised to hear
01:37and that kind of did surprise me was just how normal it all was.
01:42It kind of felt the same as like a regular doctor visit, just with extra information.
01:48Beyond like a normal amount of soreness that people will get after like a flu shot or something,
01:53I didn't have any reactions at all.
01:55My other friend had a fever and chills for about 24 hours,
01:59and then felt completely fine after that.
02:01I didn't have any worries because I felt like the worst thing that could happen
02:06is that I got the placebo and still had a chance of getting sick, really sick with COVID.
02:11So I mean, I was just like, I'm going to be fine.
02:14I have seen the way that COVID has impacted people's lives this year.
02:19I've watched some local businesses in Nashville have to close.
02:23I've seen my friends have family members that have passed away.
02:27Because I am young and I'm healthy, I don't have pre-existing conditions.
02:32My life isn't really at risk.
02:34I don't have to worry about my health.
02:36I don't have to worry about my family.
02:37I don't have to worry about my health.
02:39I'm young and I'm healthy, I don't have pre-existing conditions.
02:42My life isn't really at risk.
02:44And so I thought that I would be a good person to be able to
02:48participate in the trial to help those that are at risk.
02:57You do get paid.
02:58I've heard that different trials offer different amounts.
03:01My trial is $750.
03:04You don't get that until the end of the trial.
03:06So you wouldn't receive that money for the end of two years.
03:10It's two shots.
03:14But so after the second dose, you should be pretty set.
03:19And it doesn't prevent you from getting COVID at all.
03:22I can still catch it.
03:23It just prevents me from having those worst symptoms.
03:26I still maintain those habits of wearing my mask and,
03:31you know, making sure that I'm protecting others.
03:33Just seeing how close we are to having a vaccine available to the public,
03:37it just makes me really passionate about making sure that people
03:40can be safe these last few weeks until we can start protecting people with the vaccine.
03:51For the people that don't trust it because of the government,
03:54the government is not the ones that were actually making the vaccine.
03:57These are like hardworking doctors and nurses and scientists that have been working on this.
04:01It's like everyone just wants everyone to be able to live a safe and healthy life.