1: afaik placebos have no effect on vaccines that’s correct, because it’s not something that’s subjective… you either have an infection or you don’t: you can’t think yourself better
2: the way we do efficacy trials is already exactly this: we give trial participants the vaccine and compare their infection rates to known infection rates in the general population that match the demographics of the trial participants as closely as possible
I think it’s more that placebo studies of vaccines could be unethical. Vaccines are preventative treatment. A placebo study would mean that, say, we give the vaccine to 50, and a placebo to 50, and then wait some time (or, for much more unethical, deliberately inject people with the virus), and compare the results.
For something like the common flu, this might be fine, but for something as dangerous as measles, this can be deadly.
I am interested to hear from someone knowlesgeable how vaccines are supposed to be tested.
Have there been any studies that show placebo effect doesn’t really apply to infectious disease? I would wager that there is one, if not several.
Wouldn’t the unvaccinated public, exposed in the early days of a pandemic, then be an effective control?
1: afaik placebos have no effect on vaccines that’s correct, because it’s not something that’s subjective… you either have an infection or you don’t: you can’t think yourself better
2: the way we do efficacy trials is already exactly this: we give trial participants the vaccine and compare their infection rates to known infection rates in the general population that match the demographics of the trial participants as closely as possible
I think it’s more that placebo studies of vaccines could be unethical. Vaccines are preventative treatment. A placebo study would mean that, say, we give the vaccine to 50, and a placebo to 50, and then wait some time (or, for much more unethical, deliberately inject people with the virus), and compare the results.
For something like the common flu, this might be fine, but for something as dangerous as measles, this can be deadly.
I am interested to hear from someone knowlesgeable how vaccines are supposed to be tested.