Seldom does a vaccine researcher’s job include calling city hall, big-box stores like Walmart and Target, and the US Postal Service. But Ann Falsey, MD, had those tasks on her to-do list in June as she prepared to recruit volunteers to test potential vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Falsey, of the University of Rochester School of Medicine, hoped large employers in her area would publicize vaccine trials to their essential workers, many of whom are Black or Hispanic.
“We are thinking very hard about not only how to get a diverse population that reflects the US population but also people at high risk—postal workers, home health workers, you name it,” she said.