‘flu shot’ traffic sign. Photo: gerenme (Getty)
Usually when you’re strapped for cash, thoughts of donating sperm, plasma or even whoring yourself out to the big girl in 4C come to mind.
But great news, guys — now you can make bank just by getting exposed to the flu in St. Louis.
According to Influence, St. Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development is willing to pay $3,500 to people who check in to the Water Tower Inn. The catch is you must allow researchers there to expose you to the flu virus. Unless you die, it’s a win-win for everybody, as you’ll get some pretty sweet cash, and researchers will get to study how the virus works the instant it enters your body.
Some volunteers will be exposed to a placebo, while others will get hit with a live flu virus. Sucks to be them. After about ten days (or until you’re no longer contagious), you’ll be allowed to check out of “Hotel Influenza” with $3,500 in your pocket to spend on video games and weed.
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“In influenza, we can learn about immune response because we can study it from the second someone is exposed to flu in a challenge trial,” said Dr. Matthew Memoli, Director of the National Institutes of Health’s Laboratory of Infectious Disease Clinical Studies Unit. “This cannot be done in any other way because by the time a person presents to a doctor with a natural flu infection many hours and usually days have gone by.”
It’s your call, ladies and gents. Do you want to work on the fryer at McDonald’s for 11 weeks, or you do want to have bouts of the runs and vomiting for 10 days in St. Louis? Godspeed with either decision.
