04 December 17, 2020
NEWS
The Fourcast
YOUR WORLD TODAY
The race to a vaccine
Prospect of COVID-19 protection inspires hope by Laine Betanzos Copy Editor
A
s the race for a COVID-19 vaccine has accelerated in November and December, three front runners have emerged and are now in various stages of the approval process, garnering excitement and hope. While it could take months before the general public will receive an approved vaccine with sufficient distribution capacity, this development process has set new precedents for the speed at which vaccines can be developed. On Nov. 20, pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced the submission of their application to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine, making them the first companies to take this step. Moderna Therapeutics, another company that announced a promising vaccine candidate only days later, requested emergency use authorization Nov. 30. Both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine candidates have exhibited greater than 90 percent efficacy in late-stage trials, which surpassed expectations from scientists worldwide. The FDA had announced it would consider emergency approval for vaccines showing just 50 percent efficacy, according to the New York Times. A third vaccine candidate showing promising results was developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. AstraZeneca announced one dosing
regimen of its vaccine candidate showed 90 percent efficacy, and another dosing regimen showed 62 percent efficacy. The pharmaceutical company will seek emergencyuse listing from the World Health organization to accelerate vaccine availability in low-income countries, according to CNN. Senior Mia Silver, who decided to remain on distance learning for the fall, looks forward to the prospect of a vaccine. “If there’s a vaccine available, that would definitely help me make my choice,” Silver said. “If my mom could get it, I would feel much more comfortable going back to school.” Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine candidates use novel mRNA technology, employing tiny fragments of the virus’s genetic code to provoke an immune system response of the production of antibodies and the activation of T cells to destroy infected cells. This response then protects the user from contracting the disease, according to BBC. The AstraZeneca vaccine candidate, however, uses the adenovirus, a virus that causes colds in chimpanzees. Scientists at Oxford University genetically altered the virus so that it carried a gene for the Coronavirus protein to cause a subject’s immune system to recognize COVID-19 upon exposure and generate immunity, according to the New York Times. Upper School science teacher Barbara Fishel said the speed at which the vaccines have been developed and tested is unprecedented.
“The fact that within a year we are getting not only clinical trials done, but soon to get approval for distribution, is much faster than anyone anticipated,” Fishel said. “They were provided with a lot of money to hire more people, get more equipment, do whatever needed to test it more quickly.” Typically, vaccines need to go through six stages to be approved: the exploratory stage, the pre-clinical stage, the clinical development stage, the regulatory review and approval stage, the manufacturing stage and the quality control stage. The clinical development stage consists of three phases. During Phase I, small groups of people receive the trial vaccine. During Phase II, the vaccine is given to “at-risk” people. In Phase III, the vaccine is given to a larger group of people to test for efficacy and safety. As of Nov. 9, Pfizer announced the first set of results from their Phase III COVID-19 vaccine trial was successful in providing evidence that the vaccine had the ability to prevent COVID-19. With positive news from Pfizer, the general distribution of the vaccine is expected in spring 2021. Groups at a higher risk of infection, such as healthcare workers, older adults and those with obesity or diabetes, however, may be prioritized to be vaccinated by the end of the year. Upper School technology integration specialist Candace Townsley, who works from home this year due to health concerns during the pandemic, looks forward to the results of the vaccine in real practice.
graphic by Nancy Dedman
“It’ll be a while, I think, even though I’m high risk,” Townsley said. “I think we’ll know more about it this summer, which makes me feel good.” Still, there may be some obstacles in the distribution of the vaccines, as the two leading candidates must be stored in extremely cold temperatures. The Pfizer vaccine candidate must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, while the Moderna vaccine candidate must be stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius. According to CNN, the AstraZeneca vaccine is unique for its ability to be distributed easily. Unlike the Moderna and Pfizer candidates, AstraZeneca’s candidate does not need special refrigeration for transportation and handling, as it is stored at temperatures between two and eight degrees Celsius. All in all, the rapid progress of vaccine candidates through the stages of approval brings great hope in a pandemic that has lasted many months. “As a scientist myself, knowing how much time it usually takes to do things in a lab … I’m blown away by how quickly everybody’s done it,” Fishel said. “I think it just goes to show that if you put enough money and manpower or womanpower into it, you can make things happen. That’s hopefully good news.”
Boarder restrictions Families strive to stay connected
by Sasha Schwimmer News Editor Oceans away from their loved ones, seniors Barbara Lou, Susan Zhang and Elaine Wang are navigating life largely alone. Boarding students are able to study virtually or in person, thanks to the families who welcomed these girls into their homes. Lou lives with senior Avery Antes and her family. “I know that it’s really hard for Barbara to be away from her parents for so long, so Avery’s dad and I are trying to be as supportive as possible,” Avery’s mother Lisa Antes said. Lou has not returned to her home in Hong Kong due to the risks of exposure and uncertainty regarding air travel and restrictions. She also felt that staying in Dallas would be better because of the time difference, which would require her to wake up at odd hours to attend classes and meetings. She has not seen her parents since last December. “I could not help but cry when I FaceTimed my parents on my birthday, who set up balloons and cake and sang Happy Birthday to me over the phone,” Lou said. Susan Zhang, who is living with her sister in an apartment in Lewisville, has not returned to China since last December.
She hopes to see her family after graduation. However, if she leaves, she may not be able to return to the United States for college because of visas and international student policies. If the public health situation with the pandemic improves, she will eagerly return home to see her loved ones. “Whether I feel sad or not, it is what it is,” Zhang said. “I’ve accepted the situation and have come to focus more on the present.” While living with a host family in Dallas, Elaine Wang virtually communicates with her loved ones in China. Wang says she has grown more independent because her family is unable to respond to questions or messages throughout the day due to the 13-hour time difference. “I decided to take this as an opportunity to be more independent and be comfortable with making decisions on my own,” Wang said. “Equally important to me was to seek support from friends and family when I needed it. With your loved ones around you all the time, sometimes you forget how much support they regularly give.” Wang tries to look at the positives in life, rather than dwell on the fact that she is far away from home. “I have learned to think of home as something to look forward to,” Wang said.
Barbara Lou celebrates her 18th birthday virtually.
photo courtesy of Barbara Lou
photo courtesy of Elaine Wang
photo courtesy of Susan Zhang
Elaine Wang stays in touch with her family through FaceTime.
Susan Zhang video chats with her mother on a Facetime call.
