Megan Fehrenbach ’22
As 2020 comes to an end, there seems to be a light at the end of this dark tunnel. Since the beginning of November 2020, there have been a few vaccines that the United States government has been supporting. These include vaccines from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies such as Pfizer and Moderna. According to Fox News, Pfizer and Moderna are reported to have vaccines with prevention rates of an average of 93%. The high protection rates have provided hope for everyone throughout the globe. 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone: virtual education, the inability to visit friends and family, along with the general scare of being infected by the virus have had negative effects on most people’s mental health. With the vaccine on the horizon, there is more hope for people who have been stressed.
The upcoming vaccines have also sparked controversy. Pfizer and Moderna use messenger RNA (mRNA), leading some to believe that it will alter their DNA. According to CNN, the mRNA will tell the immune system that the virus is a foreign molecule that should be attacked. The mRNA seems to be the most effective method to attack the virus, but it is very fragile and must be stored at around -100 ℃. The CDC has reported that the mRNA in these vaccines does not have the ability to enter the nucleus of the cell, where the DNA is kept so the vaccine cannot alter the DNA. Other vaccines, such as those from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, are vector vaccines and they use a common cold virus, known as an adenovirus, to disarm the coronavirus. According to CNN, the adenovirus makes people produce their own vaccines by creating thousands of small spike proteins, the structure that enhances the virus on its surface. The vector vaccines are cheaper than the mRNA vaccines, yet are slower than the mRNA. This vaccine can also be stored at a regular refrigerator temperature, unlike the mRNA vaccine.
The status of the vaccine’s readiness has still not been decided. In the coming weeks, the FDA will begin to check and examine the vaccines and will decide which are ready for the world. President Trump has stated that the vaccine could begin deliveries as soon as early December, yet the FDA has yet to confirm this statement. Regardless, the vaccines on the horizon will hopefully begin to be delivered soon and hopefully put this pandemic to rest.