CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Betsy Thorpe, 52, is a single mom working on putting her two daughters through college. As an editor, she works from home and last fall felt like she had to do something to help fight the virus.
"It's partly from the guilt that I’m not a frontline worker and I’m not really helping in any way," Thorpe said.
Thorpe saw an ad on Instagram, joined a local Pfizer trial and got her first shot in September. At first, she didn’t feel a thing.
"I thought I had gotten a placebo and then after dinner, I started feeling uncomfortable, a little achy so I took Tylenol PM to help me sleep and then about 2 in the morning I felt flu-like symptoms," she recalled. "I was achy and all my joints hurt and I took some more Tylenol and I woke up the next morning and I was completely fine."
She got the second shot as well and then antibody testing and they’re still monitoring her and the other trial participants in charlotte and across the country.
"What's happening now they want to see how long the shot is effective and t you continue to have antibodies in your system," she said.
Her own parents are scheduled to get the vaccine later this week and she’s hoping everyone will get vaccinated when they can.
"Covid isn’t going to go anywhere without a major intervention like everybody getting the vaccine as soon as possible so I’m super happy that it's out," she said.
Thorpe said she hasn’t any issues since that first day and said she’s completely healthy. While she’s almost positive she got the actual vaccine – all trial participants who got the placebo will be given the actual vaccine this March.