My Small Part In Helping To Resurrect Travel

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The travel, tourism and hospitality industry has been decimated by the impact of the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. And when all is said and done, it's predicted that over 120 million jobs could be at risk and the economic damage is likely to exceed over $1 trillion

While many out there have simply had to cancel their summer vacation or postpone that cruise, I have been watching the industry that I have had the privilege to work in the past 18 years crumble right before my eyes. Friends have lost their jobs, favorite hotels have shut down, countless small business have closed permanently, and I personally haven’t been on a plane since March 16th. I work for the largest Tourism and Hospitality Marketing Communications company in the world, and over the past 10 months I have been focused on helping to connect the dots between the data and research available to help inform our company and clients on what the recovery might look like. While we have seen overall consumer confidence tick up and down based on a number of factors over the past 10 months, the research is telling me that consumers won’t feel confident traveling (well at previous levels) until there is a vaccine. And we can’t get a vaccine without people participating in the vaccine trials currently being conducted by a number of pharmaceutical companies around the world. And none of the vaccines we now take for granted would be possible without the bravery of thousands of clinical trial volunteers – like meJ. I know it is always scary to participate in something called a “trial,” so let me walk you through what the process was like, my no holds bar experience, and why you should participate in a vaccine trial near you.

While there are a number of pharmaceutical companies out there conducting global test, I am participating in the AstraZenica trial being administered through the University of Kansas and Children’s Mercy Hospitals. Hopefully, this blog answers your questions and alleviates any concerns you might have.

The overall time commitment for this vaccine trial is approximately two years which consists of a few in-person visits and a number of phone call/app check-ins.

The first visit is the most time consuming as they need to do a series of tests and ask you a number of questions. Nothing crazy, but they ask about 20 pages worth of medical history, they do a quick 5-min exam, take your vitals and draw some blood to get a baseline. After they determine you are “worthy” to participate, you get the first shot of either the vaccine or a placebo. Approximately 66% of people participating in the test get the actual vaccine. They said this was a double-blind trial, where neither the study coordinators nor the patients themselves know whether they are receiving a placebo or the real vaccine under study.

Besides being frustrated with the inefficacy of the process and sequencing of the procedures, the first visit was just fine. The shot itself was no big deal, and it didn’t feel any different than taking any other vaccine. It was a quick prick and done. I had to wait 15 mins to make sure I didn’t have any crazy reaction; they took my vitals again and I was on my way. To be honest, I felt absolutely nothing after the first shot and was sure that I didn’t get the vaccine. I was hoping to feel some symptoms in the days after the shot, an unofficial sign (in my mind) that I got the vaccine. But zip, zero, zilch, nada, nothing. This was on November 15, 2020.

Over the course of the next 30 days, I did one phone call and two app check-ins with doctors to report on my symptoms. The app check-ins were one question – are you suffering from any covid related symptoms – yes or no. I was a no, so maybe this vaccine was working.

On December 15, I went in for my second visit which took a little over an hour where we did a quick check-in on my experience over the past month, had blood taken and got my second booster shot. This shot was a bit different in that I did have a bit more of a sore arm this time around and it definitely felt like something was brewing. After being in denial that I got the vaccine after the first shot, my hunch after the second shot was that I possibly got the vaccine, but I still don’t know.

As mentioned earlier, my commitment to the study is for approx. two years. I am allowed to withdraw from the study at any time..but by sticking with it will also help answer some other important questions regarding how long this immunity is going to be durable for and understanding how long the protection lasts. That way we'll know whether this will be a once-a-year or once-in-a-lifetime shot.

One of the biggest concerns going into the study was that this is an accelerated process, and everyone was talking about how fast vaccine development is going. But I can certainly say, as somebody who was in the earliest part of the Phase 3 trial, at no point, did I ever feel like I was being rushed. The doctors were very generous with their time, in fact I had the doctor heading this study in Kansas City doing my exam and answering my questions. I asked probably too many questions, and he answered all of them happily. I was pretty direct with my questions and felt quite informed making that final decision to get the shot or not, based on the information they gave me. I never had a doubt.

Following the shot, I haven’t changed my behavior at all. This said, I’m making no assumptions that I am immune, although I am a bit more willing to be the “canary in the coal mine” and participate in activities others around me might not. When all is said and done, I need to remember that this is an experimental vaccine. Nobody knows if it works, nobody knows what dose works, how effective it would be, even if it is effective…although we have some pretty relevant data to make assumptions on. But still, I haven’t thrown all my masks away. I still have been going into the office and working from home as necessary. I still wash hands. I still social distance. I still do all the stuff that I hope everyone else is doing.

The hospitality industry will not emerge from the COVID-19 crisis the same as it entered, but I am hoping that I am playing one small part in getting it back up and running. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but for now, I’m still wearing a mask.

Will you get the vaccine as soon as possible?

Do you plan to travel domestically or internationally in the next six months?

When do you plan to take your next business trip?

What will it take to get you traveling again?