Key criteria for the ethical acceptability of COVID-19 human challenge studies: Report of a WHO Working Group

Vaccine. 2021 Jan 22;39(4):633-640. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.10.075. Epub 2020 Oct 28.

Abstract

This report of the WHO Working Group for Guidance on Human Challenge Studies in COVID-19 outlines ethical standards for COVID-19 challenge studies. It includes eight Key Criteria related to scientific justification, risk-benefit assessment, consultation and engagement, co-ordination of research, site selection, participant selection, expert review, and informed consent. The document aims to provide comprehensive guidance to scientists, research ethics committees, funders, policymakers, and regulators in deliberations regarding SARS-CoV-2 challenge studies by outlining criteria that would need to be satisfied in order for such studies to be ethically acceptable.

Keywords: Bioethics; Clinical trials; Controlled human infection; Coronavirus; Covid-19; Ethics; Human challenge studies; Research ethics.

Publication types

  • Practice Guideline
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage
  • Biomedical Research / ethics*
  • COVID-19 / immunology
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control*
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • COVID-19 Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Ethics Committees, Research / organization & administration
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Human Experimentation / ethics*
  • Human Experimentation / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Humans
  • Informed Consent / ethics*
  • Patient Selection / ethics
  • SARS-CoV-2 / drug effects
  • SARS-CoV-2 / pathogenicity*
  • Vaccination / ethics
  • World Health Organization

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • COVID-19 Vaccines