Portland man applies for COVID-19 vaccine trial to ‘help everyone out’

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    PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — As part of a final research study, a couple Portland-area volunteers received COVID-19 vaccinations Monday and hundreds more Oregonians will soon follow suit.

“I figure, if they need someone in my demographic makeup, then I’m happy to help,” said Andrew Bawol, a Portland resident who signed up for the study conducted by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in partnership with OHSU.

Just a couple hours after he submitted his online application, Bawol said he got an email to schedule a consultation.

“I was definitely surprised,” Bawol said. “I was thinking a couple days maybe. I didn’t realize this was ready to go this instant.”

It’s a nationwide study that will include 40,000 Americans.

OHSU researchers involved in the trial expect AstraZeneca will consider applying for FDA emergency authorization approval within a matter of weeks, just slightly behind the other COVID-19 vaccine front-runners Pfizer and Moderna.

Bawol said he had few second thoughts about signing up and is mostly excited by the prospect of helping scientists in such a time of need.

“There’s not much else I can do to help with the pandemic, other than being careful about the things I do, following the governor’s orders and shopping small,” Bawol said. “I figure this is one way I can help everyone out.”

Bawol sees it as the next step to finally ending the pandemic.

“Like everyone else, I want my life back,” Bawol said.

And because of that, Bawol’s willing to report back to researchers for two years – as required by the study, but he knows there’s no getting back to normal if others aren’t willing to roll up their sleeves what’s the vaccine is widely available.

“I really hope people see the value in the scientific method that’s going into everything and trust people who are smarter than them,” Bawol said.

If he is chosen to get the vaccine, Bawol said he’ll continue social distancing and following all of Gov. Kate Brown’s pandemic rules.

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