WASHINGTON — With Moderna releasing positive preliminary results of its COVID-19 vaccine's efficacy, DC Councilmember Mary Cheh shared Tuesday that she is participating in the clinical trial through the NIH.
The Ward 3 councilmember signed up for the trial after encouragement from her friend who is a doctor. She said her friend also took the vaccine.
Cheh said participants are not told whether or not they have received the placebo or vaccine. However, she has experienced symptoms after both injections.
"We both had aches and pains, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, great fatigue ... woah it was something," Councilmember Cheh said. "So my friend said, 'well seemed like we got the vaccine.' And I said 'how do you know it’s not the placebo that caused this?' And she said, 'Mary, you don’t get that kind of reaction from a saline shot.'”
The councilmember said the effects dissipated after about 36 hours. And, this isn't the first time a vaccine has caused her to display side-effects. She said pneumonia and shingles shots also caused her to have a reaction.
“Headache, fatigue, it wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t an adverse reaction. And I would take that any time. I’m taking it not just for myself. It’s for others," she said. "This is something we have to do collectively to defeat this thing.”
A self-described "scaredy-cat," the councilmember said she was nervous at first to sign up for the clinical trial. But thought taking the vaccine trial was one small way she could help.
"I wanted to be part of something to help us get out of this mess which we’re in," Cheh said. "And fingers crossed, I hope we can do that sooner than later.”
Cheh said she received two injections — one in August, and the other in September. She said the overall experience has been an extensive process.
"They do a COVID test that’s like no COVID test you’ve ever had because they follow the most rigorous protocol of up your nose. It feels like it’s in your brain," she said. "They take a bunch of blood … for all sorts of testing. And you have a physical exam. You fill out 10,000 documents like an encyclopedia.”
After each shot, Cheh said she had to record her temperature and check-in with researchers regularly, answering a series of questions. Cheh believes check-ins will be more spaced out, as researchers say they monitor participants for the next two years.
Moderna's Monday announcement that its vaccine is showing a 94.5% efficacy encouraged Cheh that she helped to make a positive difference.
"I’m very pleased, and it looks like in due course we’ll have a vaccine," she said. "And I think that’s the only way out of this."
She said any side effects she experienced pale in comparison to catching COVID — and are worth the temporary discomfort.
Her message to the public: "Please when the vaccine comes out, please everybody take it.”