The people who stepped up when drug companies needed them to be in a COVID-19 vaccine trial say it should be their turn now to get the vaccine before others in the general public; but as some have found, that’s not always the case.
The Barbosa family volunteered for the Pfizer trial. But one member of the family was removed from the trial for getting the vaccine on his own.
READ: These Publix stores will offer the COVID-19 vaccine
They said they were tired of waiting.
The family said they joined the trial to protect their husband and father, Jose, who has a bad heart after four bypasses and nine stents.
It turns out Jose’s wife and son received the real vaccine, while Jose and his daughter received a placebo.
READ: Here’s where to find the COVID-19 vaccine in your county
In the beginning, Pfizer said it would give all placebo participants the vaccine as soon as it received an emergency use authorization from the FDA. But as the shot became available to the general public, Laura said they were having a hard time getting answers. So they signed Jose up to get the vaccine from the Orange County Convention Center.
“It feels good,” Jose said. “It’s really great that we finally have it. It’s great.”
READ: Stimulus payments: IRS delays start of tax season
But getting the vaccine on his own removed him from the clinical trial.
Their daughter is now the only one in the family who hasn’t received the real shot, but Pfizer says it plans to give everyone who received the placebo shot the real thing by March 1.