VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Moderna coronavirus vaccine trial participant who lives in Central Florida has high hopes after the news Monday about the efficacy of the vaccine in the trial so far.

Moderna says early data shows its coronavirus vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, joining Pfizer in taking the lead on potential vaccines.

Both companies developed mRNA-based vaccines that were created in a way that is fundamentally new, according to Dr. Jeffrey Stalnaker, Chief Clinical Officer at Health First. 

“This technology is completely new and different, never been done before in terms of a vaccine in which your body creates this purified foreign virus protein so then your body can react to it,” Stalnaker said.  “Old school is you grind up the virus and inject it. Here, you’re using your own body to create a very purified form of an antigen that you can create an immunity to."

We first talked to Chintana Ohl in September, when she got her first vaccine dose at Accel Research Sites in DeLand.

She has now received three doses.

"It's been great," Ohl said Monday. "I have a very good feeling about this company."

Ohl said she wanted to take part to not only make a difference for her family's health, but the entire world.

"I had to do something about this virus because it's getting to be too much out of hand, and I'm glad that some companies developed the vaccine to help the country and the world," she said. 

How did she react to Moderna's news?

"Oh yeah, got goosebumps," Ohl said. "I feel very good."

She said she's confident Moderna will deliver a safe and effective vaccine.

“I feel fine," Ohl said. "I didn’t have any side effects, didn’t have any problems. Just followed my routine life and didn’t have any issues."

She hopes to visit her native Thailand again one day soon, as Moderna and competitor Pfizer now both say they have vaccines that are so far proving effective.

This news puts both companies on track to seek permission within weeks for emergency use in the United States. Moderna expects to have about 20 million doses by the end of the year, and is on track to produce 500 million to 1 billion doses globally in 2021.

The nation’s top infectious disease specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said vaccinations could begin in late December. Vaccinations are expected to start with high-risk groups, potentially being available to the rest of the population by the spring.