Over 12 months since COVID-19 made landfall and a new vaccine is offering renewed hope of viral extermination.
Labelled ‘new vaccine’ because past claims of vaccine development have been numerous.
Russia won the race with the first registered vaccine, Sputnik V, developed back in October 2020.
Oddly, there was little hype surrounding the Russian elixir; hushed also were efficacy reports of this hastily produced and distributed (Argentina was reportedly administered 300,000 doses in December last year) Sputnik V, leading the rest of the world to wonder…
True to form, right behind the Russian juggernaut, later in December of 2020 the USA was quick to reveal its own vaccination progress; US medical researchers had in the works three potential world-savers – AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine, and Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine – but again, garnering limited fanfare.
…All these supposed vaccines yet, January 13th, 2021, the world suffered its worst ever COVID-related mortality – over 16,000 deaths in one day – more than twice the number of global deaths than this time a month ago.
The two most recent attempts, though, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine have finally gained some recognition, as though there is feeling the end of the COVID pandemic might be nearing.
Huh, forgive my resounding lack of confidence.
Viral contagions are living organisms; like the human beings they inhabit, the foremost instinct of viruses is self-preservation. Like us, a virus will change, adapt, and evolve for optimal existence within its given conditions.
If viruses could be eradicated, why would Medical Science allow something so insidious as the Cold virus to plague mankind?
Article by Tim Walker
Edited by Noah Hopper
Photography by E Ruddy/K Shinn