ATLANTA — Scientists said the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine could be almost 95% effective and that's beyond their most optimistic projections. One Emory doctor said they are hoping this could mean an end to the pandemic is on the horizon.
This would be an effective tool to battle COVID-19. Emory Dr. Colleen Kelley described "relief, excitement, hope," after hearing the news.
She is the principal investigator for the Moderna vaccine in Atlanta and said the news about the efficacy of this vaccine could not be better.
"Really just our teams have been working incredibly hard to make this happen in a global pandemic, and so this is really, really sweet. It's sweet for science as there's been so much uncertainty in the past year. This is just a fantastic day for all of us," she exclaimed.
It's great news, too, for volunteers like Rene Cottrell who signed up for the trial at the beginning of the pandemic.
"I think I had second thoughts the first day as I was driving over there, like, 'what am I getting myself in to?'" Cottrell said.
She said after months of being in the study, she's confident in the work Moderna and Emory are doing to find a safe vaccine. She's certain she got the real thing but said she's still not letting her guard down as COVID-19 infections continue to rise in Georgia.
"I'm at work now, and I work in retail and I wear my mask all day except when I'm having my lunch, and so do all my coworkers, and we require everyone who comes in here to. So I still don't think I would be breezing in and out of anywhere without my mask on," she said.
She'll be enrolled in the study until May, but she's hoping by then most of her friends and family will have access to the vaccine that she thinks could end this pandemic.
"While masking, physical distancing, staying away from everyone if you've been in contact with someone who has COVID are the only things we can do this week and next week and the week after that, to reduce COVID rates, a vaccine is what will see the other side of this pandemic globally," said Dr. Kelley.
They are still investigating the full side effect profile of the vaccine, but hope to have that information out soon. She said that's the next step to convincing people to get the vaccination once it's widely available.