News I volunteered for Moderna’s COVID vaccine trial. Here’s why I think I got the vaccine, not placebo. November 16, 2020 Lindy Washburn, NorthJersey.com Comments Off on I volunteered for Moderna’s COVID vaccine trial. Here’s why I think I got the vaccine, not placebo. My second shot in the Moderna COVID vaccine trial gave me muscle stiffness and a short-term fever. So I think I got the real vaccine, not a placebo.