By Amanda Morris | Arizona Republic
Anna Lunaria says she wouldn’t usually consider signing up for clinical trials of new drugs or vaccines. But last week, she volunteered to participate in the first late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trials in Arizona, despite the potential risks as a test subject.
“I’m not afraid of a vaccine. I’m afraid of the virus,” said Lunaria, a Phoenix acupuncturist. “I think of it as my patriotic duty to do what I can in this time.”
American biotech company Moderna and American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer both launched late-stage trials of their respective vaccines on Monday. The vaccines have emerged at a breakneck speed and have shown promise in earlier studies.