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'The Right Thing To Do': 82-Year-Old Volunteers For Covid-19 Vaccine Trial

PAXTON (CBS) - Not a lot of 82-year-olds are willing to volunteer for a vaccine trial, but Mary Jo Moynihan is not your average 82-year-old. She has a great attitude. "If I died, that was one of the side effects listed was death, but I'm not afraid," Moynihan said.

She volunteered for the Pfizer Covid Vaccine trial in September. She got two doses and goes back weekly to Boston Medical Center to give blood. "I think one of two things. I got the placebo or it's one heck of a great vaccine because I had no side effects whatsoever," Moynihan said.

Mary Jo Moynihan
Mary Jo Moynihan (WBZ-TV)

Mary Jo was driven to volunteer because of what happened 49 years ago. Her daughter became ill with diabetes and a medical trial in Canada produced a treatment.

"It's the right thing to do," Moynihan said. "Somebody has to do it."

A final analysis of the Phase 3 trial of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine shows it was 95% effective in preventing infections.

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