Westlake Word

With the virus still lurking, we are about to enter the one year mark of the Covid 19 pandemic. It has been a hard year for everyone, and lots has happened. Most people probably thought by now everything would be back to normal; unfortunately, that's not the case. Although there is promise in the future, everyone still questions when the world will begin to rotate normally.

 

After months and months of having little progression, there has finally been a discovery for the Covid 19 vaccine. Many are skeptical about this vaccine and wonder if it is really the answer to end this pandemic. 

 

Here's what we know: the two brands of the vaccine were created by Moderna and Pfizer. They give the vaccine in two doses within a certain time period. There are three phases of the vaccine administration in order to dispense the vaccines suitably and determine whether the vaccine is functioning properly.

 

In phase one, the vaccine was given to healthcare workers and a small number of volunteers. The symptoms observed were achiness and mild fevers, which are common with every vaccine. In phase two, the scientist gave the vaccine to hundreds of people in groups like adults and young children. 

 

Now in phase three, they are giving the vaccine to tens of thousands of people and a placebo to others, Carl Zimmer and Katie Thomas of The New York Times report. The idea of these vaccines is to make antibodies to prevent the coronavirus from entering the bodies of the vaccinated.

 

According to Zimmer and Thomas, the phase three trial is the most important because it will tell if the vaccine is safe and effective enough to be used for widespread use. If more people who got the placebo get Covid than the people who got the vaccine, there is concrete evidence that the vaccine is effective. 

 

Many people have worries about the vaccine, as there are many rumors about the side effects of the vaccine. One common rumor is that it can cause seizures and even death. 

 

In order to debunk the rumor mill, clinical trials will be conducted. It is unclear what the clinical trials will be like, but they need to begin the phases of the vaccine before they start clinical trials. These clinical trials should be up and running within the next couple of months. 

 

While some people are very insistent that they will not receive the vaccine, there are many who really want the vaccine, and others are waiting to see the side effects before they commit to getting it. 

 

Sandi Lyden, Nurse Practitioner at Westchester Medical Center, said, “It has been crazy since the vaccine has arrived. I have not gotten it yet, I am going to wait a little longer to see how others react to it. Most of my co-workers have gotten the vaccine and experienced mild discomfort and fevers” based on her experience of administering it. 

 

Lyden also believes that this vaccine may be the solution to end this pandemic. If this vaccine is effective, she said, “it could be a game changer.” 

 

All everyone wants is to go back to normal. But, it’s hard to remember what normal once was. Everyone is so used to social distancing and wearing masks everywhere. Stopping these precautions would take a long time to get used to. 

 

Work Cited: 

 

Zimmer, Carl, and Katie Thomas. "What We Know About the C.D.C.'s Covid-19

Vaccine Plans." New York Times [New York], 4 Dec. 2020. New York Times, www.nytimes.com/article/covid-vaccine-a-b.html. Accessed 21 Jan. 2021.