Grace Chu (R) and Nicole Hoschuetzky were part of the New York City Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trials last year. The couple received their first shot the day of the Phase II/III trial in July 2020. “At the time, there was a lot of vaccine hesitancy and fear, and we wanted to be part of the solution, so we could help provide data to bring an end to this pandemic,” Chu tells GO. Chu, a lawyer/photographer, and Hoschuetzky, who works in finance, then reported back to their clinic at scheduled intervals over the course of testing in order to get tested for antibodies and checked for COVID symptoms. While 50% of the trial participants received the vaccine and the other 50% received a placebo, both Chu and Hoschuetzky learned they had each received the real thing when they were unblinded in January 2021. The two remain a part of the ongoing trial, which is now focused on testing for long-term protection into 2022. —IL
