Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Many unknowns lie ahead for our nation and the world as we continue to live in the middle of the global Coronavirus pandemic, but good news is coming as many vaccinations for the virus continue trials that are leading to hopeful gains. The FDA has reported it hopes to give a vaccine that has performed well in its clinical trials an emergency approval by next week, delivering 327,000 doses to California in attempts to combat the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. Pfizer found 44,000 volunteers to participate in its COVID-19 vaccine trial, with many health experts studying the vaccine to determine how it is performing. Clinical doctors have discovered side-effects including things like a sore arm, headache, tiredness, chills, loss of appetite, muscle aches, and sweating. The studies have revealed side effects only lasting between 1-6 days.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an Infectious Disease Specialist, has reported that of 75,000 patients involved in vaccine trials, only 25-50% of patients participating in the trials he’s studying (including Pfizer’s) have experienced some side effects, with only15% needing more than a day to recover. In another trial, continued treatment was put on hold as a patient was reported to have been experiencing spinal cord inflammation.

Despite many misconceptions and concerns about the developed vaccinations, researchers and experts are hopeful with the testing so far and share that Americans should not have any reluctance when it comes to receiving the vaccine.

“The first thing is to point out that the speed has nothing to do with compromising safety or scientific integrity. It’s due to the extraordinary and exquisite advances in vaccine platform technology which has allowed us to do things in weeks to months that formerly took years, several years,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

There is some concern that many Americans are leery of getting vaccines and Dr. Fauci recognizes the reluctance and skepticism around getting vaccinated especially among African Americans, but he still believes the vaccines will be ok and will protect the country from more loss.