Written by: Sam Bazzi Edited by: Esther Melamed By the end of this week, I will have received my second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. A few weeks after that, I will have built up a high enough number of neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus to be protected. I will still have to wear a mask and keep my distance from others, but for me and probably many others who have been vaccinated, it is a step towards everything I miss about life before pandemic, no matter how far away that reality may actually be. To use a tired metaphor, that reality is the light at the end of …
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine promises renewed optimism for widespread distribution
Written by: Parker Davis Edited by: Esther Melamed On Friday, January 29, Johnson & Johnson posted a press release on their website announcing the Phase 3 results of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The vaccine, which was developed and produced by Belgian pharmaceutical company Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, was reported to be 72% effective in the United States, and 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19; and it was 85% effective at preventing severe disease. The company also noted that on day 28 post-administration, the vaccine “demonstrated …
Understanding the Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Variants on Vaccination Efficacy
Written by: Sean Brady Edited by: Esther Melamed What does it mean that there are SARS-CoV-2 variants? We have all patiently waited for the COVID-19 vaccines to begin to roll out. As these efforts become actualized, we are unfortunately facing SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants that could potentially undermine vaccination efforts. Before we dive into the impacts of variants on COVID-19 vaccination efforts, what does it even mean for there to be a SARS-CoV-2 variant? A SARS-CoV-2 genetic variant can be thought of like a kid to the original parent SARS-CoV-2 virus. While the kid has many …