Pfizer vaccine test volunteers speak of their ‘pride and excitement’ over successful trial

Husband and wife team Dr Ugur Sahin and Dr Ozlem Tureci, who lead the research in their company Biontech, which developed the vaccine successfully trialled by Pfizer

Credit: © 2020 Felix Schmitt / Agentur/© Focus / eyevine

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Volunteers on the Pfizer vaccine trial have spoken of their pride and excitement after data suggested the jab was more than 90 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 infection.

More than 43,500 people in six countries have taken part in the phase three trial run by the pharmaceutical giant and its partner BioNTech.

Glenn Deshields

Glenn Deshields, 44, from Austin Texas, a lobbyist, was one of the Pfizer trial volunteers

Credit:  Amy DeWeese/PA

Glenn Deshields, a lobbyist from Austin, Texas, said learning that the vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective was like hearing the "ringing of war bells".

Mr Deshields, 44, experienced side effects which he said felt like "a severe hangover". He subsequently scheduled an antibody test through his doctor and it came back positive, so he was confident he had not received the placebo.

He said his own immune reaction to the shot made him confident that the vaccine was having an effect, but was still "very excited" when he heard it was so effective at preventing infection.

"My grandfather, one of his first memories was of the bells ringing when World War I ended," he said.

"It was a horrific war and horrible things happened and people were just happy it was over with. In my mind I felt the same way… I kind of felt it was something like that. Thank god, it’s going to be over at some point."

Carrie

Carrie, 45, from near St Louis, Missouri, works in publishing, one of the Pfizer trial volunteers

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Carrie, a 45-year-old from Missouri, said signing up for the trial was a "civic duty" and said the vaccine’s effectiveness left her feeling "very proud".

"There are so many people who have had it and suffered," she said.

"The thought that we could do something to stop people from suffering from this, from losing family members, that we could get rid of it and get back to some sort of normal in our lives — that’s a driving factor for this for me. I don’t want anyone else to be sick."

Carrie, who works in publishing, received her first shot back in September and her second last month.

The trial is double blind, which means the participants do not know if they are receiving the vaccine or a placebo — but Carrie believes she received the former.

She said she suffered side effects — a headache, fever and aches over her body — which were comparable to a flu jab after her first shot, and more severe after the second.

Bryan

Bryan, 42, from Rome, Georgia, an engineer

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Bryan, an engineer from Rome, Georgia, said taking part in the trial was "the least I could do to help out".

The 42-year-old said he felt "a little bit of pride" on hearing the news about the vaccine, but added that taking part in the study was as "a lot of people are needlessly suffering from the virus" in America.

Bryan believes he was given the placebo — he felt no immune response and, having received his two shots, came down with Covid shortly after his daughter caught it last month.

His whole family ultimately caught it but have all recovered.

Bryan said watching President Donald Trump’s "bungled" response to the pandemic has been "disheartening".

"I’m embarrassed by how the US president has handled the pandemic," he said.

"But I’m hopeful now because in addition to the good news with the Pfizer vaccine, we have a new president-elect and I’m sure he won’t ignore scientists, he won’t downplay the virus, he won’t make fun of people wearing masks — so combined I think it’ll save a lot of lives."