Before Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence received their COVID-19 vaccinations live on national television Friday morning, veterans had volunteered to test the new vaccine.
Among them is Army veteran and Maryland native Michele Jones.
“I’m volunteering because sometimes you have to ask yourself, ‘What can I do to make this better? How can I literally put my core beliefs, who I am, into action?’” she said in a VA blog post. “If I believe in something strong enough, I’m willing to commit myself 100%.”
Department of Veterans Affairs
During her military career, Jones served in the active reserve components of the Army, supporting missions in Kosovo and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
She said she took part in the vaccine trials to make things better for both her family and community.
“If being a volunteer enables scientists to find a vaccine for COVID-19, I’m willing to do that,” she said in the blog post.
She was the first woman to attain the rank of command sergeant major in the U.S. Army Reserve, championing women’s rights and serving as a role model for others.
At one point, Jones was the highest-ranking Black enlisted woman in any branch of the American military.
Jones was motivated to test a new vaccine because she knows the importance of including people from minority groups in vaccine trials. According to scientists, a vaccine for COVID-19 will be effective only if it is tested in a diverse group of people, one that includes men and women, young and old, Black, white, Hispanic and other individuals.
“One size does not always fit everyone. If you want a vaccine to be the right type for the right person, you have to become involved, period,” Jones said while encouraging other Black Americans to sign up to test a COVID-19 vaccine.
There is one other group that means quite a bit to Jones. She is the mother of four daughters, two of whom have tested positive for COVID-19.
“We always say as mothers, we will do anything for our children. I am doing this for my children,” she said.
Anyone over the age of 18 can volunteer to participate in VA research by signing up for the COVID-19 research volunteer list.
If you are eligible to participate in a study, you will be contacted by a study coordinator. The coordinator will answer your questions and help you decide if you wish to participate.
Raach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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