Two San Antonio Military Health System facilities are in need of volunteers from among the military beneficiary population for a COVID-19 vaccine trial.
The trial is part of Operation Warp Speed, a national initiative to accelerate the development, production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center are among the Department of Defense locations taking part in the Phase III trial to evaluate the vaccine under development by AstraZeneca.
The other sites are Naval Medical Center San Diego, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia.
Department of Defense sites, to include BAMC and WHASC, are open on a voluntary basis to Military Health System beneficiaries, which are active duty, retirees and family members 18 years of age and older.
Beneficiaries are welcome to sign up for consideration now by reaching out to either site through their information below:
Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (Site Code: WHASC)
Recruitment Phone Number: 253-341-6170
Email: covidwhasc@genevausa.org
Brooke Army Medical Center (Site Code: BAMC)
Recruitment Phone Number: 253-924-9458
Email: covidbamc@genevausa.org
Alternatively, volunteers can also visit www.CoronavirusPreventionNetwork.org. Click on “volunteer now” and complete the survey. When requested, volunteers should enter the appropriate site code, which is BAMC or WHASC, depending on their preference and geographic location.
Once the survey is completed, local study site coordinators will screen volunteers and contact those participants in their area who may be a good match for the study. Volunteers should consult with the study coordinator if they’re scheduled to move, change their duty station or deploy within 12 months of beginning participation.
According to the DoD release, the study is looking for people who are at an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection which may include:
- Living in densely populated residential environments.
- Living or working in congregated living facilities, such as nursing homes.
- A member of a community that has been hardest hit by this pandemic, such as older people, individuals with underlying health conditions, and racial/ethnic groups such as African Americans, Latino, and Native American populations.
Copyright 2020 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
