It has been close to a year since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent global shutdown. Small businesses are collapsing as the economy is slowly falling apart. The number of those infected are skyrocketing, as well as the deaths. As of now, almost 73.4 million people have been infected by this virus, accompanied by almost 1.63 million deaths. Some have the immunity to recover, whereas many do not. Thankfully, we have a vaccine coming our way very soon, as millions pray for its efficiency. 

Very recently, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been approved and is currently being administered to at-risk frontline health workers for the first time, throughout the United States. Fortunately, this vaccine is one of two to be proven to be effective. Through clinical trials, it has been shown that this vaccine has around a 95% effective rate. There is one issue though, which are side effects. Many contemplate on whether or not to take the vaccine as it is a brand new concept, never seen before. Pfizer/BioNTech developed a mRNA vaccine, which means there is no “weakened virus” within the compound. This means, in simple terms, the vaccine tells our immune system what Covid-19 proteins look like and instructs it on how to fight it off by creating antibodies. According to the CDC, some common side effects include pain and swelling (in the arm of the shot), as well as fevers, chills, tiredness, and headaches. The CDC also states that one must be administered a set of two shots in order for it to work effectively. 

Another vaccine, created by Moderna, is soon to be FDA approved (only days away) but is not currently authorized for use. 

Hopefully, the end of this global pandemic is near, as it puts the lives of every single person on this planet at risk. At this point, anything can happen.