Dr. Kizzmekia Shanta Corbett Gives Lecture on the

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On Thursday, Jan. 28th, the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry hosted Dr. Kizzmekia Shanta Corbett, an immunologist who helped spearhead the creation of the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Corbett gave a lecture through Zoom webinar addressing the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and explained that the threat of a coronavirus pandemic has existed for many years. Janae Mitchell (junior, biology) commented, “I learned that the family of viruses that includes COVID-19 has 7 ‘members,’ and all of them are known to affect humans.” Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are members of the coronavirus family and proved their contagiosity earlier in the 21st century. 

Dr. Corbett shared the reason why a vaccine is needed now more than ever due to the record high third wave of COVID-19 cases in the United States. She explained the concept of “herd immunity,” which states that as more people receive vaccinations, the number of COVID-19 infections will decrease. However, while the FDA approved the Moderna and Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020, many individuals remain fearful due to their swift creation and approval. 

Dr. Corbett’s lecture impressed students to look at the facts. Lael Agard (junior, nutrition) said, “Prior to this webinar, I would say that I was slightly skeptical about the vaccine. There are still several unknowns about viruses, especially this one. Additionally, there is no guarantee that one will be protected from the variants that exist or may develop. My feelings about the vaccine have not really changed since the webinar, but I think that is because I simply need to do more research about it for myself.” 

While Ms. Agard left the webinar convicted to research the facts for herself, Alyssa Henriquez (senior, biochemistry, English) felt reassured about the vaccine’s safety. She said, “I trusted the vaccine before, and I trust it now. I am so impressed by the efforts that were taken to provide a safe, effective vaccine to the public in such little time.” 

Dr. Corbett’s lecture on the safety and efficacy of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine told the story of the many scientists who have worked laboriously on behalf of the public to prevent the deaths of many. 

For a recording of the webinar,  please visit the Andrews University YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JJu_lvP09k&t=3s.