ANCHOR 1: WE HAVE REACHED A GRIM
MILESTONE.
THE CORONAVIRUS HAS NOW KILLED
ONE MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE
WORLD.
EFFORTS ARE RAMPING UP TO
DELIVER A VACCINE.
AND HUNDREDS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
HAVE OFFERED TO BECOME TEST
SUBJECTS.
A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY.
I DON'T WANT TO BE SUFFERING
FROM COVID-19.
REPORTER: A CONCERNED SON.
I WORRY ABOUT CATCHING
SOMETHING THAT I MIGHT PASS TO
HER.
REPORTER: AND A DOCTOR.
AS A CLINICIAN I CAN'T SEE
HOW IN GOOD FAITH I CAN
RECOMMEND ANY VACCINATIONS TO MY
PATIENTS WITHOUT PUTTING MYSELF
ON THE LINE.
REPORTER: THEY ARE AMONG A GROUP
OF LOCALS CHOSEN TO TEST A
VACCINE DEVELOPED BY PFIZER AND
A GERMAN COMPANY.
WE HAVE HAD A GREAT INTEREST
-- OVER 2000 PEOPLE IN HAWAII
CONTACTED US ABOUT BEING IN THE
STUDY.
REPORTER: OVER 400 HAWAII
RESIDENTS MADE THE CUT.
THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII IS ONE
OF 120 SITES WORLDWIDE TESTING
THE VACCINE.
SOME RECEIVED A VACCINE WHILE
OTHERS ARE INJECTED WITH A
PLACEBO SHOT.
THEY WON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY
ARE GETTING THE VACCINE.
THIS IS CALLED A DOUBLE-BLIND
TRIAL.
IT IS DOUBLE-BLIND BECAUSE
VOLUNTEERS DON'T KNOW AND
NEITHER DO I.
I HAVE TO ASSESS WHETHER PEOPLE
ARE GETTING SIDE EFFECTS RELATED
TO THE VACCINE.
AFTER THE SECOND SHOT, I HAD
MUSCLE ACHES.
I WAS VERY NERVOUS.
THERE IS SOMETHING IN MY BODY.
I'M NOT 100% SURE WHAT IT IS OR
WHAT IT COULD DO BUT FOR MY
RESEARCH, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT
IT IS GOING TO BE A GOOD THING
FOR ALL.
MYSELF, MY PARENTS.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING
TO HAPPEN.
I DID READ THAT THERE COULD BE
SOME SIDE EFFECTS.
REPORTER: EVERYTHING HAS BEEN
GOING BETTER THAN I EXPECTED IN
THE TRIAL.
THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT SIDE
EFFECTS HAS BEEN A NICE
SURPRISE.
REPORTER: DR. FITZPATRICK SAYS
DATA WILL BE COLLECTED OVER TWO
YEARS.
WE EXPECT TO KNOW WHETHER THE
VACCINE IS EFFICACIOUS WITHIN
THE NEXT SIX MONTHS BUT THEN WE
NEED TO KNOW IF THIS IS GOING TO
BE A ONCE A YEAR SHOT OR ONCE A
LIFETIME OR SOMETHING IN
BETWEEN.
THE WAY WE WILL DO THAT IS TO
HAVE VOLUNTEERS COME BACK EVERY
SIX MONTHS AND MEASURE THEIR
ANTIBODIES AND SEE HOW LONG THEY
STAY IN THEIR SYSTEM.
REPORTER: CREATING A COVID-19
VACCINE IS A COMPLEX PROCESS.
WITH A LOT OF UNKNOWNS.
FOR THESE SUBJECTS, THE UNKNOWN
IS WORTH IT.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING EVERY
DAY.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO SURVIVE?
YOU NEED A VACCINE.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE DAY
THAT I GO OUT AND FEEL SAFE.
THAT IS SOMEONE SNEEZES, I DON'T
HAVE TO LOOK AT THEM ALL WEIRD.
THIS FEELS UNREAL.
LIKE SOMETHING FROM A MOVIE.
I'M HAPPY TO DO IT.
I KNOW MANY PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT
TO BUT I THINK THAT IS A
PERSONAL DECISION, OBVIOUSLY.
ANCHOR 1: THE TRIAL BEGAN IN
AUGUST.
DR. FITZPATRICK SAID
PARTICIPANTS WERE PICKED BASED
ON INCREASED RISK OF GETTING
COVID-19.
AS FOR WHEN THE VACCINE WILL BE
AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC,
FITZPATRICK SAYS OPTIMISTICALLY