WS Chronicle

By Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

The Coronavirus is still ravaging the lives of people. Families are losing loved ones every day. Our country has fallen, yet there does seem to be help on the way.

There have been serious conversations about the development of a vaccine that would curb the spread of COVID-19. Two pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer and Moderna, are leading the way in this effort.

Last week Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, filed for what is called an emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration in order to use their coronavirus vaccine.

Now we, the citizens, are in a wait-and-see mode. Without a vaccine, our country will continue to spiral out of control. Currently, there are over 14.8 million cases and over 282,000 people have passed away.

Whatever your politics are and whomever you voted for, everyone must know and understand the coronavirus is real. Democrat or Republican, it does not play favorites. It will cause pain and sorrow in your house and my house, too.

The Moderna company has also filed the necessary paperwork with the FDA. If approved, both companies will supply the country with millions of doses of the vaccine. For example, if the Pfizer application is approved, then according to reports, approximately 6.4 million doses will be provided to our country and eight territories.

We know that first responders will be the first to receive the vaccine. This is the right thing to do and there is wholesale agreement that because they are saving lives, that they should receive the initial doses.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine products have different cooling properties. The Moderna vaccine must be stored frozen at -20 degrees Celsius. However, it keeps for a month at refrigerator temperatures. Medical experts say it will be easier to distribute to areas that do not have specialized freezers. 

The Pfizer vaccine will be stored frozen at -70 degrees Celsius. Its shipment will require dry ice. The unthawed Pfizer product can only be kept in a refrigerator for five days. Reports say that Pfizer will be the first to broaden its trial to people 12 years of age and older, which means they will probably be the last to receive the vaccine. Both vaccines will require two doses.

Both products will be available for use arguably before the end of the year. It is almost certain that each will come with side effects. In some ways, I believe it will be dependent upon our body make-up as we will react differently to the vaccine.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said, “Starting in April, May, June, July, as we get into the late spring and early summer, people in the so-called general population, who do not have underlying conditions that would make them priority, could get shots.”

One of the questions at the inquiry desk is, when will people of color receive the vaccine? NAACP officials will be meeting with President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris in the coming days and the vaccine question is sure to be raised.

President-elect Joe Biden has asked all Americans to wear their masks for the first 100 days of his presidency. In my opinion, this is a request that we must honor. The basics of wearing a mask, washing our hands, and social distancing are still in play.

While the vaccine will help to stop the spread, we cannot drop our guard. COVID-19 has been an unrelenting thorn in our side. Getting a vaccine will help to remove it.

James B. Ewers Jr. is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator and can be reached at overtimefergie.2020@yahoo.com.