AUSTIN, Texas — As cases of COVID-19 continue to surge across the United States, it’s clear a vaccine cannot come soon enough. More than 1,200 Texans have volunteered themselves to be part of ongoing vaccine trials, but researchers still need more.
Back in September 2020, Nico Saldivar signed up to enroll in Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine trial through Benchmark Research in Austin. During his first appointment, Saldivar received an injection of what he thinks was the trial vaccine, but he can’t be sure if he received that or a placebo.
“I’m not allowed to know. I don’t think they’re allowed to know,” said Saldivar. “That being said, it didn’t seem like it was a saline shot. It was sore, swelled up a little bit kind of like it does with a vaccine.”
Spectrum News 1 followed Saldivar to a follow-up appointment at Benchmark Labs. The visit consisted of questions, paperwork, and a subsequent blood draw to help collect data for vaccine researchers. In all, the follow-up took less than a half-hour to complete.
By day, Saldivar is a licensed massage therapist. Between safety concerns and a growing number of people with a lack of disposable income, his business has dropped off significantly. Saldivar had been seeing upwards of 15-20 clients a week. Now he says he’s “lucky if [he] hits five in a week.”
“That’s why I’m eager to get this vaccine available to the public, so that maybe that’ll, you know, put a little less stigma and fear to COVID, so that people won’t be so scared to come get so close to me,” chuckled Saldivar.
Saldivar said he’s planning to leave the massage studio he’s been renting in north Austin, opting to go mobile to reduce overhead costs. While he’s being compensated for his participation in the COVID-19 vaccine trial, Saldivar said it isn’t going to pay his rent. He receives $150 for each visit he makes to the lab, and he receives $5 for every weekly health journal entry he makes.
The massage therapist says he would be lying if he didn’t admit the whole vaccine trial process isn’t a little nerve wracking. Risks and the unknowns surrounding the virus are certainly scary, but Saldivar said that’s the reason why these tests need to happen.
“People ask me, you know, ‘Why are you doing that?’” said Saldivar. “That just circles back around to being the example you want to see in the world. It sounds kind of cheesy a little, applying that to this, but you know if I want everybody to do this whenever it’s available, I need to show that ‘Hey I did it and I’m okay.’”
Saldivar is hopeful that his small part in the trial gets researchers closer to making that vaccine available sooner rather than later, optimistic that once the vaccine is put out to the public, the world will be able to return to the way it once was.
He encourages others to get involved as well. Benchmark Research is still accepting vaccine trial participants at its locations in Austin, Fort Worth and San Angelo. For more information on participating in the COVID-19 vaccine trial, or other Benchmark Research trials visit benchmarkresearch.net.