How to fight against a Pandemic: Add vaccination (and women scientists) to the Arsenal

To say I have been a "nervous nelly" the past few days would be kind. My husband, sister, best friends, and family–– bless them for managing my neurosis–– have witnessed an emotional roller coaster, or 'Covidcoaster', from me as I debated taking the vaccine. As my anesthesiologist colleague and friend, Dr. Emily Coursey, eloquently summarized: "The irony of doing our job well instills us to be risk-averse–– but to continue to do it safely necessitates taking this calculated risk." 

Another of my brilliant friends, Dr. Leah Windsor, even knows Pfizer's head of clinical trials, another female Ph.D. (Because you see, behind every great woman, there's a bunch of other great women.) That doctor's response came via text: "...there is always risk, the issue is whether or not the risk outweighs the benefit, and in this case, it is irrefutable." 

Irrefutable! That was a word I could cling to.

I also read these three incredibly informative blog posts from Dr. Gretchen LaSalle and have received permission to post them here. She does an excellent job explaining the vaccine in relatable terminology, and I highly recommend each post for further reading:

https://gretchenlasallemd.com/covid19-vaccine-coming-soon-heres-what-you-need-to-know-part-1/

https://gretchenlasallemd.com/covid19-vaccine-coming-soon-heres-what-you-need-to-know-part-2/

https://gretchenlasallemd.com/covid19-vaccine-coming-soon-heres-what-you-need-to-know-part-3/

I received part one of my Pfizer vaccine yesterday; as an anesthesiologist I was fortunate to receive it first. The moment I got my injection, a profound and unexpected catharsis came over me. Over a million and half lives were lost, and many millions of lives devastated by this virus. As tears poured out of me, the nurses in the room shared their stories. Each of them had experienced patient and personal loss. The grief hit me hard but so did hope. The hope that this vaccine will eventually save lives and bring us happier days.

Once the majority of the population is vaccinated, and we can return to a semblance of the life we had, the world will owe collective gratitude to many female scientists. We will learn more of these two heroes, specifically: Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a research fellow and scientific lead at the National Institute of Health, as well as Dr. Katalin Karikó, a biochemist with decades of research into mRNA's therapeutic possibilities. (mRNA is the basis of the two FDA approved Covid-19 vaccines.)

But we will need to get past this bleak winter as the daily American death toll surpasses 3000. The rollout of the vaccine will take months, and in the meantime, we must all continue to prevent the spread of the virus with social distancing, masks, and hand washing. Our hospitals are at capacity. Listen to us: there are no beds, and many in your healthcare team are also sick with the disease. Please do your part. This pandemic will not end until you do. 

I hope you can each get the vaccine soon, and when it's safe to do so, don’t forget to thank a brilliant woman.