If you enrol on a vaccine study, the research team will collect information as part of that particular study. This information is held by the research team and any information that is collected about you will be kept confidential, in the same way as your medical records.
If your doctor or consultant is not the person who approached you about the study, it can be helpful for them to be told you are taking part in a study as they will be responsible for your day-to-day healthcare; but they can only be told with your permission.
Once the study has finished the results are usually published, and often presented at conferences. No name or any information that can identify you will be used in this presentation or any reports about the study.
Yes, if this is recommended for you. You may need to wait between one to four weeks between receiving the flu vaccine and receiving any COVID vaccine, but you can still enroll in the study and discuss timing with the research team. Do not put off your flu vaccination to take part in the COVID trial, as it will give you important protection.
The vaccines are designed so that they do not cause infection.
If you enrol on a vaccine study, the research team will collect information as part of that particular study. This information is held by the research team and any information that is collected about you will be kept confidential, in the same way as your medical records.
If your doctor or consultant is not the person who approached you about the study, it can be helpful for them to be told you are taking part in a study as they will be responsible for your day-to-day healthcare; but they can only be told with your permission.
Once the study has finished the results are usually published, and often presented at conferences. No name or any information that can identify you will be used in this presentation or any reports about the study.
Researchers will be looking for lots of different people to take part in their studies to make sure it works for everyone. Some studies may be looking specifically for people with existing condition or a suppressed immune system, and people of all ages, as they may respond differently to a vaccine, to check it works for them.
Researchers will discuss any pre-existing medical conditions you may have with you. You may also want to speak to your own health professional for further advice.
In the UK, the research partner of the NHS is the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). If you sign up to be contacted about vaccine studies, only researchers on studies supported by NIHR - and who have applied to use the service and been approved - will be able to contact you. You can view a list of NIHR supported COVID-19 vaccine studies here.
If you are interested in a study you receive an official email about and decide to get in touch with the study team and/or complete the online screening as directed in the email then the study team will be in touch with you directly.
Researchers will never ask you for money or passwords. Always be alert to the risks of clicking on links or attachments. You can learn more about how to protect yourself from scam emails on the Action Fraud website.
Check back on Be Part of Research or contact the research and innovation team if you are worried that an email may not be legitimate.
Vaccines are tested in a number of stages to make sure they are both safe and effective. You may be invited to participate in a study that is evaluating whether the vaccine is safe to be used for other people like you.
The information you are given about any study you are invited to take part in will explain what stage the vaccine is at and how it has already been tested. You can consider this information when deciding whether to take part.
The number of people the vaccine has been tested on will depend on the stage of the study. You should be told how many people have been tested before you decide to take part in a study.
There is no need to routinely self-isolate if you are taking part in a vaccine study. After some vaccines, you may experience a fever for one or two days. If this were to happen, then you may need to self-isolate depending on the current public health policy.
Common vaccine side effects include soreness, swelling and redness at the site of the vaccination and sometimes more general symptoms like tiredness, achy muscles and fever which may last for a few days and get better by themselves.
The vaccines themselves should not pose a risk to those you live with. If a household member is shielding and you are supporting them by staying at home to limit exposure to infection, then taking part in the vaccine study would require you to leave your home more frequently.
You do not have to tell family, friends or employers that you are part of a vaccine study. If you are admitted to hospital for any reason, we ask you to inform the staff caring for you.
No, the vaccines being currently tested are not 'live'. There are a number of different technologies being developed, but all share the aim of helping a person's immune system recognise COVID-19 and fight it off, without risking the person contracting the virus.
Researchers will be able to answer specific questions when they contact potential participants. Information on the technologies will be published on the Be Part of Research website.
This will depend on your circumstances and your insurance policy. You are advised to check with your insurance company before taking part in a study.
Some vaccine studies will ask that you do not donate blood for the duration of the study.
This will depend on the vaccine type but this information should be available from the study team.
