There are many heroes in this world that you may think are real heroes like Batman, Superman, Iron Man, and more. In our minds, we think of heroes as men with superpowers wearing capes, but not all heroes wear capes. Let’s get a little serious on this topic. Today I will be talking about two women scientists who spent their lives in their research laboratories, discovering the coronavirus and preparing for the vaccine to protect humanity. As we are in Covid 19 pandemic, do we know what the vaccine mean to us? Well, the vaccine has given us hope in these dark times.
Let me start with June Almedia. June Almedia was a Scottish scientist (virologist) who first discovered coronavirus under the electron microscope but never got much credit for her work. Her story is very inspiring to many people today. June Almedia was very interested in studying different kinds of viruses. She immigrated to Canada for work and mostly looked under the microscopes and studied animal viruses. In 1964, she had identified small particles with spikes like the rays of the sun under the microscope, and this was the coronavirus. Nobody was interested in her research and just ignored her, thinking that her finding was insignificant. She had also found rubella in animals, strep throat in chickens, and more. June Almeida died in 2007, at the age of 77. Nobody cared about coronavirus until 13 years after her death, as corona took over the world as a pandemic. I wish researchers had believed that she had found corona particles that would make the coronavirus a deadly pandemic in 2020.
Now, I will introduce you to the next hero, Dr. Katalin Kariko, a Hungarian biochemist who discovered mRNA( messenger RNA) vaccine against the coronavirus. After doing PhD in Hungary, she immigrated to the USA with her husband and two-year-old daughter in 1985. She is one of the many researchers who have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades.The mRNA vaccine teaches our body cells to make antibodies against the virus and protects us if the virus enters our body. Dr. Kariko from the University of Pennsylvania had worked very hard on mRNA for 40 years. She always had many innovative ideas, but whenever she shared her ideas, people used to dismiss her work and wouldn’t want to listen to her ideas. She faced many challenges as an immigrant woman scientist. Despite many failures, she continued to work on her project along with a colleague Dr. Weissman. But when Covid cases started to surge, scientists started to explore her ideas of vaccines. She worked with Dr. Drew Weissman, who helped her make the first vaccine against the coronavirus (the Pfizer vaccine). She used all her ideas that people had previously declined and tried her best to make the mRNA vaccine and succeeded. In my opinion, she should get the Nobel Prize. People who make successful inventions and creations get that award, so I think she should get it too. Actually, she should get a Nobel prize for Science and Economy because the vaccine will positively affect public health and the global economy. Today, Dr. Kariko is an inspiration to many youths like me, and she is a true hero.
Here I end my blog with some facts about vaccines.
The vaccine is safe and is more than 90% effective in protecting us from serious COVID infections.
The two doses of vaccine can keep you protected for at least one year.
The vaccine, along with a mask and social distancing, can pause the spread of COVID. So, get vaccinated if you can.
Researchers are working on vaccines for children, and once I am eligible, I will get my vaccine.
“SCIENTISTS HAVE DONE THEIR PART. NOW IT’S TIME TO DO OUR PART. GET VACCINATED.”
Credits: Wikipedia, Google, The New York Times article by Gina Kolata (published April 8, 2021).