Motivators and barriers influencing willingness to participate in candidate HCV vaccine trials: perspectives of people who inject drugs.

Background: A safe and efficacious vaccine may be the most efficient and cost-effective strategy for controlling the hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID) and several candidates are in development. However, little is known about the factors that influence willingness to participate (WTP) in candidate HCV vaccine trials among this group.

Methods: HCV seronegative PWID recruited between 2008 and 2010 as part of a prospective observational cohort study in Sydney, Australia were asked whether they would be willing to participate in a future candidate hepatitis C vaccine trial and to provide reasons to explain their decision.

Using ethnographic fieldwork to inform hepatitis C vaccine preparedness studies with people who inject drugs.

Background: Feasibility studies are an important component of preparations for field trials of biomedical prevention interventions, including vaccines.

Methods: We conducted ethnographic fieldwork to assess feasibility, including eligibility and willingness to participate, prior to recruitment of a prospective observational study of hepatitis C negative people who inject drugs (PWID) in Sydney, Australia. Five staff conducted ethnographic fieldwork in 16 locations during 2008.