Brad Collins was diagnosed with COVID-19 around Thanksgiving and says he had a 100-plus degree fever for 16 days. “It makes me look a little bit forward to a vaccine,” Collins said. Dr. Douglas Denham, who oversaw Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials at Clinical Trials of Texas, says he’s not alarmed by news of the variant. “I think right now the vaccine should continue to work well.”Denham says the latest variant of the coronavirus appears to be more easily transmittable. Also, while research must continue, it appears previously rolled out therapeutic drugs such as Regeneron’s antibody cocktail and Bamlanivimab will also still be effective against the new variant, Denham said.

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio native says he is proud to be a part of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial to help others in the community. The pharmaceutical company announced Monday that its vaccine has a 94.5% efficacy rate against the virus. Researchers conducting the Moderna trial in the San Antonio area say the pharmaceutical company’s recent results show promise. The Moderna vaccine still needs to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. With the pandemic raging throughout the country, Denham said the most vulnerable populations -- such as the elderly, first responders and other essential workers -- could begin to receive the Moderna vaccine or one like it by early 2021.