Pandemic vaccine trials: expedite, but don’t rush

Abstract

It has been proposed that the urgency of having a vaccine as a response to SARS-CoV-2 is so great, given the potential health, economic and social benefits that we should override the established steps in the research development process. In this article I argue that whilst there are some opportunities to expedite the production of a vaccine, it is a mistake to rush the research. We should retain the existing structures represented by clear and separate ‘phasing’ of trials. I offer three reasons for this view: the existing phases of trials is morally significant; rushing fails to appropriately weigh all of the relevant risks and benefits and consent is not sufficient for the justification of additional risk. Vaccines have played a central role in global health improvements and we should not endanger such achievements for an apparent short-term gain in response to a pandemic such as SARS-CoV-2.