Why Patrick Sébile volunteered for COVID-19 vaccine trial

Patrick Sébile, founder of A Band of Anglers and one of the best-known product developers in the industry, has talked openly about his decision to volunteer for COVID-19 vaccine testing.

“I felt I should do this not only because of the burden COVID brings on people and the economy, but also because my son, Luke, has an immune defence system that is weaker than average. This puts him at more serious risk if he were to be infected,” Sébile explained on Facebook.

“For the love of my son, and my daughter, Jade, and because I did not want to be passive until a cure is found, I decided to do it. The study of the evolution of human wellbeing shows that vaccines are at the heart of it.

“I lived in Africa for 18 years and have seen people die at young and middle ages, something we do not witness on the same scale in Europe or America. A major factor in that is the lack of access to vaccinations. “I also felt that as I have been dealing with fishing tackle prototypes all my life, why not help work on a vaccine prototype. Humour and hope go hand in hand.”

Sébile’s first inoculation was in Deland, Florida, two hours from his home, in early September. Sadly, it was the same day that he received news of the death of a beloved uncle – and he dedicated his inoculation to his lost relative.

“I made sure I had a picture taken being vaccinated as I wanted to raise awareness,” he added.

Sébile will return to the facility once a month for the next 25 months before the process is complete and will keep his followers updated on Facebook.  Typical of Sébile, he left the research having arranged a kayak fishing trip with the male nurse who conducted the test.