MORE than 11,000 people in Scotland have signed up to be a part of large-scale vaccine trials for coronavirus through a UK Government scheme. That number is part of the more than 100,000 people across the UK who signed up to take part in, and help to speed up, the efforts to find a safe and effective vaccine in the fight against coronavirus.

Across the UK, scientists are working day and night to find a vaccine, which would release us from the current coronavirus-induced purgatory once distributed. They are being supported by a deep well of financial support from the UK amounting to hundreds of billions of pounds. The UK is actually now the biggest individual contributor to the international coalition to find a vaccine. But before that vaccine, once developed, can be released to the public, it will need to go through various stages of testing to ensure it is safe.

The number of volunteers that have been signed up are really impressive considering that the scheme only launched on July 20. People can sign up to the scheme by using the NHS Covid-19 Vaccine Research Registry, which is an online service that allows people to register their interest in Covid-19 vaccine studies and be contacted to participate in future clinical trials.

The more people that sign up, the quicker large-scale vaccine studies can take place across the UK. The aim is to get as many people as possible signed up to the registry by October. In particular, this week researchers indicated that they would welcome people from all parts of society, especially those who are more likely to benefit from a vaccine, including the over-65s, frontline health and social care workers, and those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

A number of trials in the UK are expected to begin this autumn. Vaccines are tested in stages to ensure they are safe and effective. Volunteers who are contacted to take part in trials will be given information about what stage a particular vaccine is at and details of how it has already been tested. They will be able to consider this when deciding to take part and people can withdraw from the registry at any point.

If you are interested in signing up and finding out more, go to the NHS UK website www.nhs.uk/sign-up-to-be-contacted-for-research