Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41367542›Full record

ArticleBMJ public health2025

Mixed-methods study assessing the acceptability and feasibility of Human Challenge Studies for Disease X in Healthy UK Adults in a SARS-CoV-2 pandemic setting.

Katherine Rw Emary, Rebecca Te Water Naude, Arabella Stewart, Maia Patrick-Smith, John A Henry, Marcus English, Tonia M Thomas, Naomi Douglas, Maria Moore, Andrew J Pollard and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Katherine Rw Emary *Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Rebecca Te Water Naude *Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Arabella StewartDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Maia Patrick-SmithDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
John A HenryDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7650-0963
Marcus EnglishDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Tonia M ThomasDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Naomi DouglasDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Maria MooreDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Andrew J PollardDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Samantha VanderslottDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Susanne H HodgsonNIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0895-3442

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Preparation for a future pandemic or serious epidemic caused by a known or yet unknown pathogen (Disease X) is a global health priority. Controlled human infection studies (CHIS) are recognised as a valuable tool to accelerate development of vaccines and immunotherapeutics against pathogens with pandemic potential and may play a role in future pandemic settings. The acceptability of CHIS to potential participants in a pandemic setting has not been explored. Methods: A mixed-methods study of adults screened to participate in a first-in-human SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trial, using online survey and interviews, was undertaken between September and October 2020 in Oxford, UK. This work assessed individuals' views, motivations and experiences of participating in a trial during a pandemic setting, including attitudes towards a hypothetical SARS-CoV-2 CHIS. Results: 349 of 770 (45%) invited individuals completed the survey, and 102 survey respondents (29%) participated in a structured interview. Participants were highly educated, research informed and predominantly of white ethnicity. Approximately a third of survey respondents agreed they would be willing to participate in a hypothetical SARS-CoV-2 CHIS. Individuals aged <35 years old, those without children and those who were single were more likely to agree to participate in a hypothetical SARS-CoV-2 CHIS. This decision was dependent on short-term and long-term complications of infection, availability of rescue therapy, likelihood of CHIS to accelerate vaccine development and urgency of the public health need. Motivations to participate in a SARS-CoV-2 CHIS included altruism and a preference to acquire infection of a circulating pandemic pathogen in a controlled setting. The views of family and friends were important in individuals' decision-making. Conclusions: Vaccine trial participants are an informed and motivated public group who can provide situated public expertise for CHIS pandemic preparedness. Recruitment to CHIS in a pandemic may be more efficient if targeted to younger, single individuals without children. Media engagement and information specifically for potential CHIS participants' families is important to facilitate informed discussion.

Indexed as

COVID-19Disease OutbreaksPublic Health

Identifiers

PMID41367542
PMCPMC12684127

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.