RSV Vaccine Trial – a big disappointment

I was playing sudoku on my smartphone a few weeks ago when, instead of the usual inane advertisements, an invitation popped up to participate in the stage-three trial for a new vaccine. 

RSV – Respiratory Syncytial Virus –  causes mild cold-like symptoms in most people, but can be serious for infants and the elderly, hence the need for a vaccine.  Since volunteers were now being sought for the stage three trials –  implying that the major risks had already been assessed – this looked like a low-risk opportunity to put something back into medical research, from which I had already benefitted greatly.

I completed an online application and a few days later had a video call from a representative of Synexus.  We reviewed my medical history, after which I was told that I was a suitable candidate for the trials.  After vaccination at their Cardiff clinic I would be required to keep a regular online diary and return to the clinic when required.   Was I willing to do this?  Yes, I was – indeed, I was most enthusiastic.

On Monday 6th December I drove the 42 miles to Cardiff for a session that was expected to take about 4 hours.  There were a lot of forms to read and sign, and an app to download onto my smartphone, then, once again, the doctor reviewed my medical history.  Things were going very well until she checked my blood pressure.  I forget what the diastolic reading was, but the systolic one was 175 – way too high. We waited a couple of minutes before trying again. This time it was 190!  It then settled back to 170, but this was far too high for me to continue with the trial and receive the vaccination.  Reluctantly, I was excluded from the trial and, after little more than an hour in the clinic, sent home with a cheque for £103 to cover my expenses.

Later that day I checked my resting blood pressure on my own monitor and it was a healthy 123:69. I continued to check it at random times of the day over the following week, and it never rose above 132:78.  I conclude that I must have been more anxious than I'd felt during the assessment process with Synexus. I've heard of people having 'white coat syndrome,' in which the anxiety of having ones blood pressure checked in a clinic drives it high. Well, I've never suffered from that one in the past but, as they say, there's a first time for everything. Perhaps the long drive through rain and heavy traffic hadn't helped either, though I'd had almost an hour to settle down from this before my blood pressure had been tested. All very odd.

In the not-too-distant future (when the present rush to deliver Covid jabs dies down) I'm expecting to be called to the Health Centre for a routine health check. Even if my blood pressure is normal, I shall mention my unhappy experience to the nurse.

Would I volunteer for another trial with Synexus? I'd like to, but first I want to understand what went wrong this time.