Josie - Interview 23

Age at interview: 54

Brief Outline: Josie consented for her son Will, aged 12 years, to take part in a Swine Flu Vaccine Trial in 2009-10. Josie was keen for her son to have the vaccine as he has asthma and did not want him to be at risk from swine flu.

Background: Josie is aged 54 years, is White British and married with three children. Josie works full time in a NHS Hospital Trust as a Clinical Tutor and Dental Therapist. Josie received an email via the intranet regarding the Swine Flu Vaccine Trial.

More about me...

 Josie is aged 54 years and married with three children. Josie works full-time, during school term times, as a Clinical Tutor and Dental Therapist in an NHS Hospital Trust. Josie saw the advert for children to take part in the swine flu vaccine trial via the ‘intranet’ at her place of work. She was keen for Will to have the vaccine as he has asthma and although this is well controlled she did not want him to be at risk from swine flu. After speaking with her husband and with Will, they agreed that it would be a good idea both for Will’s health and for helping others. Will was happy to take part as he is interested in all things medical and is a St John’s Ambulance Cadet. However, the key motivation for taking part was the fear surrounding swine flu. 

 

The trial involved visits to the hospital for blood tests and to receive the vaccine. As Will had never had a blood test before Josie says “he was a bit anxious about that”. However, they used a topical Emla Cream to help numb the arm, and although he had a slight reaction to the cream, he was fine. There were three visits to the hospital with approximately one or two weeks in between each visit. The first visit was quite long being an information gathering and consent process as well as a blood test and injection of the vaccine.

 

Josie says “there was a degree of concern that we were subjecting our child to a new and untried medicine”, however, as Will is interested in all these sorts of things and a very willing boy he was happy to take part. She says that it was important to ensure that Will understood everything and was part of the decision-making process. Josie was also relieved that he had received the vaccine. She adds' “One of his best friends at school had swine flu and he was really quite unwell and had Tamiflu and all sorts of bits and bobs you know so it was good for us that Will had the vaccine”.

 

Josie says that it was a positive experience and would certainly consider taking part in another similar trial. She adds that the trial was well organised and the staff at the hospital were very nice and very good with the children.

 

Josie understood that there were two different vaccines and the trial was to find out which one...

 Okay, with last year’s extreme anxiety which I feel was enhanced by media coverage of the swine flu threat we were interested my husband and I when our hospital Trust e-mailed some employees to see if they had any children who would be willing to take part in swine flu vaccine trials. Because of our concerns with our son who is asthmatic we thought that might be an idea to get him vaccinated prior to these vaccines being released because at that time we weren’t sure when they were actually going to be released. So we answered the e-mail and we were contacted again and asked to take our son who was at that time 11 to a children’s hospital locally where he was seen and assessed for suitability to take part in these trials. It was explained to us there were two different types of vaccine and they were being trialled to decide which would be taken on board to be given to the population at large. We had it explained to us that the vaccines had different constituents and we were talked through those. One had a mercury derivative; were we happy with this; there was no threat etc.etc. So we understood that.

 

 

Well there were two vaccine’s and the way I understood it they were seeing which gave the best immunity and then deciding if that was the one that would be given to the population at large. And we knew there were two companies involved and they were looking at those particular companies.

 

I mean did that have an influence in as well as taking part that actually it was quite open in what was happening and who was behind the vaccines. [Yes.] Yes, that there were no other companies.

 

Oh absolutely yes, yes. I think, to be honest I can’t remember exactly what they said but I knew the names of both of the companies and I knew that they produced vaccines so I felt that they wouldn’t be bringing them to human use if they hadn’t looked at them really carefully.

 

At the time of the media coverage of swine flu Josie received an invitation to enrol her son in a...

 Okay, with last year’s extreme anxiety which I feel was enhanced by media coverage of the swine flu threat we were interested my husband and I when our hospital Trust e-mailed some employees to see if they had any children who would be willing to take part in swine flu vaccine trials. Because of our concerns with our son who is asthmatic we thought that might be an idea to get him vaccinated prior to these vaccines being released because at that time we weren’t sure when they were actually going to be released. So we answered the e-mail and we were contacted again and asked to take our son who was at that time 11 to a children’s hospital locally where he was seen and assessed for suitability to take part in these trials. It was explained to us there were two different types of vaccine and they were being trialled to decide which would be taken on board to be given to the population at large. We had it explained to us that the vaccines had different constituents and we were talked through those. One had a mercury derivative; were we happy with this; there was no threat etc.etc.so we understood that.

Vaccines have come a long way in helping to wipe out many childhood diseases and protect children.

 Yes I do well yes I do of course I mean where would we be if people hadn’t agreed to take part in trials, we just would in a much worse scenario wouldn’t we really?

 

And many parents have said that and some have said it’s about giving back.

 

Indeed yes.

 

Which is a rather interesting way of looking at it.

 

But it’s correct I mean even if you go back, you know 70/80 years lots of children were dying from childhood diseases and we’ve virtually eradicated that now. So it’s true, you know, sometimes it’s good to give back really.

 

Having the option to have the vaccine injections at the weekend made it much easier for Josie and...

 Well it was because you could chose and they did them on Saturday’s and Sunday’s so we elected to go into the city on a Sunday when it wasn’t very busy and we could park. And actually we ambled about and had a little walk so it was, we made it into a fun experience we took Will to look at some things and so you know it was good.

 

So that was a Sunday as well?

 

It was yes.

 

That was good then.

 

It was.

 

Flexible. If it had been in the week, would that have made a difference if it had been in the week day daytime in the week?

 

It would have been because both my husband and I work for the NHS Trust with commitments to patients and it’s difficult to then change things. And Will was at school in his final year at primary school so, I’m not saying we wouldn’t have done it but it would have been a lot more tricky.

 

Make sure your child understands everything and they are happy to take part.

 Well I would say that our experience has been very positive. I would say make sure they understand everything very well and that their child understands and is happy about it. But I wouldn’t say that there was anything particularly negative about the experience that we had and in fact it was quite good fun going up into the city and you know it was it was interesting. Yes so I wouldn’t say to them not to do it, you know, not to be, say not to be afraid. If it was something that might benefit your child don’t be afraid go forward and, you know, find out about it and have a go.

Receiving a money voucher at the end was a nice surprise for Josie's son, but it wasn't the...

 Well what happened, we went into the whole thing not expecting any reimbursement not for travelling, anything and it didn’t matter to us. As it happened in the last appointment Will was handed an envelope which was his expenses and it was £30 and he was absolutely delighted, he was saving up for something at the time and it was totally unexpected. And I have to say that I feel personally if when they were looking for people to take part in this trial if it had said there’s a monetary reward it would have made me feel well people perhaps doing it for the right reasons. And that’s an awful thing to say but I think it was very good that it wasn’t mentioned, you know, and nobody knew until the end really.