WHO guidance on COVID-19 vaccine trial designs in the context of authorized COVID-19 vaccines and expanding global access: Ethical considerations.
Singh JA., Kochhar S., Wolff J., Atuire C., Bhan A., Emanuel E., Faden R., Ghimire P., Greco D., Ho C., Moon S., Shamsi-Gooshki E., Touré A., Thomé B., Smith MJ., Upshur REG.
While the degree of COVID-19 vaccine accessibility and uptake varies at both national and global levels, increasing vaccination coverage raises questions regarding the standard of prevention that ought to apply to different settings where COVID-19 vaccine trials are hosted. A WHO Expert Group has developed guidance on the ethical implications of conducting placebo-controlled trials in the context of expanding global COVID-19 vaccine coverage. The guidance also considers alternative trial designs to placebo controlled trials in the context of prototype vaccines, modified vaccines, and next generation vaccines.