Challenge trial

Challenge trials involve deliberately infecting a smaller group of participants to test the efficacy of vaccines quickly. Though they can significantly shorten the time needed to confirm a vaccine's effectiveness, they raise ethical concerns due to the risks involved.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept gained attention due to its potential to save lives by accelerating vaccine development. According to Sam Harris and Rob Reid on the Making Sense Podcast, challenge trials could reduce participant numbers from tens of thousands to just a few hundred, thus speeding up the process (1).

However, ethical issues persist. Deliberately infecting participants, even if they are young and healthy, presents a moral dilemma. Critics argue it is unethical to expose volunteers to potential harm, even in the interest of faster results (2). Joe Lonsdale of Palantir and Jason Calacanis highlighted that bureaucratic and legal obstacles often prevent implementation, despite some volunteers expressing willingness to participate (3).

Ultimately, the decision to use challenge trials involves weighing the potential benefits of quicker vaccine availability against the ethical concerns of putting volunteers at risk (4).