This is what a Lebanese doctor who worked on the “Moderna”...

The American drug manufacturer Moderna’s announcement of a vaccine to prevent infection with the Coronavirus by 95% continues to interact globally after the two companies, “Pfizer” and “Biotank”, announced that their vaccine is 98% effective, which strengthens confidence that the battle to eliminate the epidemic that is sweeping the year with a weapon The vaccines took off hard.In this context, the American doctor of Lebanese origin Nadine Raphael Makaron, a professor of infectious diseases at Emory University and director of Hope Clinic at the University’s Vaccine Center, who is among the team of researchers who worked on the Moderna vaccine, spoke in an interview with the author Johnny Fakhry on the website Al Arabiya.net “The vaccine is safe and effective, and the results obtained by the researchers so far are very good.” However, she explained that the duration of immunity that it has is still not clear until now despite the promising results.

In addition, she warned of “the possibility of facing a harsh winter, but the summer will definitely be safe.”

Moderna and Pfizer used innovative and experimental new methods in developing the two vaccines, and they are very similar in the mechanism of action, as Rofail asserts, while the two differ from the prevailing patterns followed by the usual vaccines.The Lebanese-born doctor worked on the “Moderna” vaccine in the first and third stages, saying, “The first clinical trials we started last March, and until today, no worrisome symptoms of the vaccine appeared, except for some pain in the hand that we injected with the vaccine, and this is normal.”

The third phase of clinical trials began, according to Raphael, in early July.

What enhances confidence in the “Moderna” vaccine is its high efficacy, which reaches 95%, while the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine, for example, does not exceed 52%, and this in itself is a great achievement.

The Moderna vaccine consists of small pieces of mRNA that stimulate the body to produce the protein on the surface of the emerging corona virus.

She also explained, “The vaccine requires taking two injections, each of which is four weeks apart, and the priority will be for the medical system and the nursing body, because it is in the front rows facing Corona, then the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases, and children will receive the vaccine starting from the age of 12.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing the vaccine race for Coronavirus is its duration. At a time when scientists and doctors have succeeded in producing vaccines whose effectiveness is 100% guaranteed and last for life, such as the measles and polio vaccine that children receive at an early age, studies and research on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines did not specify the time period for the effectiveness of the vaccine in the human body.

In the context, Raphael stressed, “There is no answer yet about the duration of immunity that the vaccine gives to the body, and we hope that it will continue for many years.”

In addition, she pointed out, “Moderna” vaccine can be stored in regular refrigerators for a period of 6 months and for a month in refrigerators without losing its effectiveness, unlike the “Pfizer” vaccine, which needs to be stored in extremely cold temperatures of minus 70 degrees.

It also expected, “before the end of the year, more than one active vaccine will be announced, including” Johnson & Johnson “, the University of Oxford, and Novapax.

Moderna plans to produce 20 million doses before the end of the year, all of which will go to the United States, and the US government will distribute them free of charge to Americans.

In conclusion, Rofail confirmed, “The winter will be very difficult due to the rapid spread of the virus, but the summer of 2021 will be safe based on the number of vaccines that will be announced soon, but the main question remains: Will people agree to take the vaccine?”