Pfizer

Some participants in COVID-19 vaccine trials have experienced fevers and swelling as side effects of the immunization. Todd Brown, a registered pharmacist and professor at Northeastern, explains that these side effects are normal and prove that the vaccine is doing its job. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

No, the vaccine will not give you COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccine will not give you the disease, and if you do experience side effects, rest assured that not only are these not symptoms of COVID-19, but they’re actually signs that the vaccine is doing its job, says Todd Brown, a registered pharmacist and clinical instructor in the department of pharmacy and health systems sciences at Northeastern.

by Emily Arntsen December 2, 2020

Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Who gets a COVID-19 vaccine first–and how do you decide?

The first step should be to establish a shared set of values, rather than target specific populations, according to Mark Wells, a visiting lecturer of philosophy who studies how ethical theories can inform public policy. The second step, says Wendy Parmet, Matthews Distinguished University Professor of Law, “is figuring out a way to implement a plan without stumbling over existing inequities.”

by Molly Callahan November 23, 2020

A big complicating factor in the distribution process is the stringent cold storage requirements of Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccine candidates. AP Photo by Wolfgang Kumm/picture-alliance

COVID-19 vaccines are nearing the finish line, but the race is far from over

Many hurdles must be overcome before the COVID-19 vaccine is available for widespread use and before we’re officially out of the woods with the pandemic, says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply chain management at Northeastern.

by Khalida Sarwari November 18, 2020

COVID-19 vaccines could revolutionize medicine far beyond the pandemic

Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna are testing vaccines that use a new technique involving messenger RNA. This method, if approved by the Food and Drug Administration as expected, could potentially treat neurodegenerative diseases and cancer too, says Mansoor Amiji, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering at Northeastern.

by Emily Arntsen November 17, 2020

United States National Guard members walk towards the White House from the Washington Monument on Election Day on Nov. 3, 2020, in Washington. AP Photo by John Minchillo

Here’s why the US military can’t be asked to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine

The armed forces lack the capability to distribute within communities, says Stephen Flynn, founding director of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern. He served as a national security and Homeland Security advisor to four presidential administrations on both sides of the aisle.

by Ian Thomsen November 13, 2020

A passer-by carries a box while walking past a bookstore that displays store closing signs on Oct. 26, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass. AP Photo by Steven Senne

What does the second wave of COVID-19 mean for small businesses?

Small businesses across the United States have been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The winter months ahead—bringing predictions of a second wave of infections—won’t…

by Khalida Sarwari and Eunice Esomonu November 12, 2020

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

This vaccine could prevent COVID-19 in 9 out of 10 people. But how does it work?

Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective at preventing the disease in Phase 3 clinical trials. But how does it actually prevent infection? Mansoor Amiji, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering, explains.

by Emily Arntsen November 9, 2020