By Mercedes Halliburton
Staff Writer

The new COVID-19 vaccine is 95% successful in preventing infection from the coronavirus. After many tests, it has become clear that the new vaccine is the best path to take.

On December 10, a team of experts held a meeting to discuss whether or not the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should allow an emergency use authorization of the Covid-19 vaccine (made by Pfizer with partner BioNTech). As the Related Biological Products Advisory Committee and the FDA came to the conclusion that, yes, an emergency use should be authorized, the FDA EUA started shipping the vaccine.

Though many concerns surrounding the vaccine have been thrown around throughout the meeting, one dreaded question stands: Will the vaccine really stop this pandemic? 

“Researchers are concerned about the effectiveness as it relates to transmission, which is why the CDC recommends that we will probably still be wearing masks into the fall of next year, and so, yes I do think it will work but everyone has to take great care to ensure that its being administered appropriately,” science teacher Ashli Wright explained. People who have received the vaccine as test subjects are still required to wear a mask because, while getting the coronavirus is not much of a threat to them, there may still be a 5% chance of them getting the disease and spreading it. This 5% chance is what is worrying people, leaving them to chew on what is left of their nails.

The authorities have reached a decision on who will receive the vaccine first. Two weeks ago, the UK started using the vaccine, only giving doses to the most vulnerable: the elderly, people with disabilities and/or diseases, and frontline workers.  

“If the frontline workers that are receiving it and the elderly at living assisted facilities take the vaccine as prescribed by the developers and by the CDC I do think it will work.” Ms. Wright continued. On December 9, Canada’s drug regulator announced it had approved emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Is the world ready for this? I believe in the research and the side of developing the approved vaccine. Yes, I think academia, and the private sector in pharmaceutical companies. Overall, we’re prepared to use this vaccine, which is why it happened so fast,” Ms. Wright stated proudly. Now, the vaccine is out and being distributed in most countries. All that is left to do is wait.