A Big Week for COVID Vaccine

Initial thoughts and resources

After the heroic decision to make the SARS-CoV-2 genome available to the public, a mRNA vaccine was created in a matter of days. Shortly after, clinical trials were underway. When the news broke that the first few COVID vaccines actually worked, researchers and scientists from around the world cried literal tears of joy. The book of human history was marked.

TL;DR// Now is the time for all of us to learn and prepare. Validated COVID vaccine information is going to headline the news in the coming days and months; so will conspiracy theories, hustlers, and lies. My role is to help offer my opinion of the important science of this journey, and distill sources I’m using to make the choice to vaccinate myself, my family, and my patients.

In the past few weeks, both Pfizer and Moderna announced the astounding efficacy of their COVID vaccines. Current data released by the companies suggest these vaccines protect over 90% of individuals from getting severely sick with COVID-19. That head-turning level of protection exceeded expert expectation.

The high level of efficacy of these frontrunner vaccines has been accomplished using mRNA technology. This technology is not new; mRNA vaccines have been studied since the 1990s. (That’s over 30 years, for those of us still wearing our Guns N’ Roses concert tees.) But, mRNA vaccines are new to humans.

Although initial mRNA vaccines were not so great, scientists didn’t give up the possibility of success. These research teams did the hard work of identifying problems, gathering more knowledge, and inventing better solutions. They kept working until they found a refinement in the vaccine structure that made the product safer and more effective. This is scientific progress.

For more proof, the vaccinologists just needed a target. Once the SARS-CoV-2 genome was shared, it was easy to place the viral code into the improved vaccine backbone. The vaccine was then injected into animal models, followed shortly by human studies. Phase 3 clinical trials were completed by early November.

This week, US citizens await final FDA review and possible vaccine Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). If an EUA is granted, vaccines will immediately begin to be delivered to distribution centers across the US. 

That sounds really fast. 

Well, because it is. But the speed in which this vaccine was developed does NOT keep me up at night. I have confidence these vaccines were developed without any compromise in scientific process, quality, or safety. 

First, remember mRNA technology was already here. The genetic code for SARS-CoV-2 was the only piece missing. Once the code was shared, manufacturing the vaccine was not technically difficult. That saved a lot of time.

Another important factor is the massive infection rate of our Pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of people are getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 everyday. In this environment, the risk of infection is so high that it’s easy to quickly see the effect of any medical intervention. The process of determining if a vaccine works is simply faster in an environment of high disease. 

Finally, there was Operation Warp Speed. OWS is helping to coordinate and support all sorts of therapeutics, security issues, and distribution chains needed in the fight against COVID-19. This support “levels the playing field” so all opportunities in the existing medical community can be optimized.

Under OWS, no science was conducted within the US government. Rather, the initiative supports “little guys,” like Moderna. These are companies who already had the vaccine technology but did not have the ability to bankroll what could have been a crushing risk to their company if this vaccine endeavor failed. Of note, Pfizer did have the financial resources and was not supported directly by OWS monies or terms.

I want to be crystal clear here. OWS did not change the speed of science. Rather, it took a machete to all the stuff that makes the Research and Development of any medication so damn hard. Regardless of your political views, OWS helped you by providing instantly available cash and dropping bureaucratic BS so scientists could spend time science-ing. No writing grants, waiting for approvals, or scouring for trial volunteers. When the huge hurdles of cash and process were flattened, OWS has powered the best minds to do what will continue to be one of the highest scientific callings of this generation. 

But, a new vaccine? That still sounds scary. 

I totally get that. This whole thing is scary. In fact, I’m sick and tired of being scared! 

“We all would like to know more, but there comes a time when we go through a process, we evaluate every bit of information that we have access to, and then we need to act.”

- Dr. Beth Bell, ACIP member

During scary times, we have to lean into what we believe to be true. For me, that belief looks like trust in the scientific method. It’s solace in the ethics and humanity of international experts who have devoted their lives to the study of vaccinology and immunology, and who are offering their best in the fight against a common enemy. 

Pfizer, Moderna, the FDA… They are not offering a promise. They are offering us possibilities. These scientists are offering us tools that could help us end this Pandemic and save our lives. Through tedious analysis, sleepless nights, and dedication to their craft; I have to believe they are offering us their best. 

Will it be perfect? No. Without risk? Certainly not. 

As much as this might make us uncomfortable or even scared, the only way to get through this is to get through it. In the coming weeks to months, each one of us will have the opportunity to gather information and evaluate our risk. We will choose to wait, or choose to act. And either way, we will change our future. Let’s get ready. 

PS -- Don’t miss top 10 questions parents have asked about the COVID vaccine. The answers should provide you a framework to help understand the rapid-fire vaccine information that will be coming soon.

If this was helpful, tap the “heart” to give a like. As always, growth of this community is my fuel. If you liked this letter, please consider sharing. I appreciate it.