Highlighting women’s contributions to COVID-19 vaccine efforts

  • Published
  • By Jonathan Tharp, AF Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate
March is Women's History Month. Kicking off the month is a special look at rapid, unprecedented development of two COVID-19 vaccines by women. This article is part of a special series presented by the Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation (AFSAC) Directorate.

Nearly every human across the globe has been impacted in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 12 months. Whether it has been balancing a new telework landscape while homeschooling children or wearing masks to the store and managing disappointment over cancelled plans, we have all sacrificed and longed for “normal.” In an effort to get back to doing the things we once loved, scientists have led the fight against the spread of COVID-19 virus through the rapid research and development of a vaccine. As history reminds us, women stepped up to the front lines during the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic and the current pandemic is no different. 
 
One such woman is the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) 35-year-old African American scientist, Dr. Kizzmekia “Kizzy” Corbett. After a visit from then-President Trump in March 2020, Dr. Corbett (along with Dr. Barney Graham) directed the NIH’s vaccine research team that collaborated with Moderna to begin the first stage of the clinical trials. The clinical trials, lasting less than ten months, produced the Moderna vaccine with unprecedented speed. The Moderna vaccine, developed with Dr. Corbett’s leadership, demonstrates over 94% efficacy at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 after the second dose during clinical trials.
 
Another vaccine, produced by drug company Pfizer, was spearheaded by female scientist, Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D. Dr. Jansen is Senior Vice President, Head of Vaccine Research and Development at Pfizer. Utilizing her prior experience at Merck to develop the first-ever cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, Dr. Jansen led a team of scientists at Pfizer to produce a vaccine that would be effective in the fight against COVID-19.  With Jansen at the helm, Pfizer partnered with BioNTech, a German biotech company, to utilize ribonucleic acid (mRNA) to create the vaccine. mRNA works together with the body’s own immune system to create a protein that in turn creates antibodies to fight against COVID-19. The Pfizer vaccine has been proven to have nearly a 95% efficacy rate.
 
Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Corbett, Dr. Jansen, and countless other female scientists, vaccine distribution and deployment is well under way. Women’s History Month is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of women making a difference for all.