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Monday, March 10, 2008 - (see all news for this day)
flu vaccine testing - 11:14 PM
(filed under 'general')
i've signed up to be involved with a clinical trial for the influenza vaccine.
it's the same vaccine they give to the very young or the elderly who have health issues or who might suffer badly for whatever other issues if they were to catch the flu.
all up, i get $300 for doing it. $100 is given at the end of the first three weeks & the other $200 is given after six months.
the first three weeks, all i have to do is fill out the details on a health diary provided by them. the first five days i have to track my temperature & any side effects from the injection (local or systemic) & then the following three weeks i just have to note any other symptoms which may occur.
they want to test how healthy adults between 18 & 65 react to the vaccine, since mostly only the very young & the elderly get it. my guess is they want to find reasons to push it onto perfectly healthy people, too. *rolls eyes*
since i get paid for it, i figured it was worth it. they provided everything i need to take my temperature (a really nice little digital thermometer, similar to one i already have, but it looks to be better than mine) & track swelling or inflammation around the site of the injection (a little clear plastic ruler).
they gave me a pregnancy test to make sure i wasn't pregnant before i had the injection (i'm not pregnant, but i could have told them that. lol! 
) & took my blood pressure (which was quite low, he informed me. i guess that's a good thing).
i'm dead sure i must have got a placebo, because i can't even find the injection site this evening after having it at about 10:30 this morning, let alone see any redness or swelling.
they also took some blood, & will do so again in three weeks' time. aside from the blood taking, the injection & tracking my health, there's really nothing else to do. pretty much, i just have to be available for them to call me to see if i've had any symptoms up to six months down the track. oh, i'm also not allowed to get pregnant any time in the next six months. that's okay, because i certainly wasn't planning to, anyway. lol!
you're not supposed to get the particular sickness from having the vaccine for that sickness (although we all know it does happen), but if i do develop any flu symptoms, they'll treat me for it free of charge. they'll even come out to me if i'm sick enough! doesn't seem very likely that i'll be developing any symptoms, though.
the first $100 will be going towards smiley's continuing swimming lessons. the remaining $200 would have gone toward smiley's dental filling if it was paid sooner, but i hope to have his tooth filled long before six months from now, so i guess i'll find some other way of saving money for that in the meantime.
hmmm, you are not fuzzy enough to be a guinea pig. hope you pass the test. lol!!
Wow! I didn't know fillings cost that much! That's expensive! Mind you it cost me $2700 to have my wisdom teeth out. Have you thought of taking him to the public dentist?
Coralie ,not sure about up there but if you have a pension card or a school aged child ,you can go to the council dentist .
Here it cost me $25 for unlimted work on Holly cause she is a school aged child ,I dont have a pension or health care card ,its just the way it works ,call your local council and see .
Its a killer to pay the full price if you dont need too .
Good luck with your trial also
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be carefull. those studies can
be dangerous. I don't want to alarm you. Just be careful ok