WBIR is celebrating 40 years
of straight from the heart.
We've shared stories highlighting
the best of East Tennessee and
its people and the heartaches
and challenges along the way.
And most recently, of course,
the COVID-19 pandemic proved
deadly and devastating.
But we found hope through a vaccine
life as we knew it prior to March 11th,
2020. As for the most part returned,
we're traveling and gathering.
But still, the mention of the word
pandemic floods many with memories
of isolation, separation and fear.
As the world navigated the unknown.
Researchers and pharmaceutical giants
wasted no time developing vaccines to
protect against the deadly coronavirus.
The effort was obviously on
something that was unprecedented.
Doctor Bill Smith is the founder
of the Knoxville based Alliance
for Multispecialty Research.
The lab headed up a host of clinical
trials to study the vaccines and
their impact on people willing
to get the experimental shot.
At AM R, we did approximately 10,000 people
and COVID vaccine studies across the company.
And we had never seen anything like that,
that volume of participants that we had
to find and and collect data on in any
of the projects we had done previously.
I'm walking into this hospital because
the path to a successful COVID-19
vaccine could begin. Here
I was one of the participants in
the Pfizer coded vaccine trial and
documented my journey from first dose.
You ready? To side effects, my arm, where
I had the injection, is much more
sore today than it was yesterday.
To the second dose through
followup blood draws.
Researchers studied the findings with
the ultimate goal of getting a safe
vaccine to the masses in record time.
By late 2020, they delivered.
The first shipment of the vaccine was
shipped to Knox County in December,
and the first shots followed into
the arms of healthcare providers.
At UT Medical Center,
the COVID vaccine rollout expanded to
the most vulnerable senior adults.
Today, people six months and older
can get the shot, Doctor Smith says.
The world of science accomplished
its mission.
Dramatically reduced the
hospitalization rate.
It dramatically reduced the
community effects of COVID.
And has helped us
return to a much more normal
life a whole lot faster.
Going forward, Doctor Smith says the
insight game from COVID vaccine research
will lead to new medical breakthroughs.
Right now, clinical trials are
underway to develop one vaccine that
protects against COVID and the flu.
We are going to see continued.
Development of these new technologies
and to not just communicable diseases,
but cancer and and possibly even
into the other areas as well.
And Doctor Smith says we're actually in
the golden age of vaccines right now.
For example, the National Institutes of
Health reports an mRNA vaccine against.
Pancreatic cancer. It created a
strong anti tumor immune response.