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Tens of millions of people across the U.S. have received a coronavirus vaccine. So far, the majority of doses have been either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, both of which use mRNA to generate an immune response. These gene-based vaccines have been in the works for decades, but this is the first time they have been used widely in people.

The various Covid-19 vaccines currently being distributed around the globe have the potential to end the worst pandemic in a century. They also will mean hundreds of billions dollars in sales for the pharmaceutical companies that make them.

Good evening. I’m Deborah Netburn, a science and features writer at the Los Angeles Times, filling in for Thuc Nhi Nguyen for a few days. You may remember me from my previous stints with the newsletter — it’s nice to be back! It’s Monday, March 15, and here’s what’s happening with the coronavirus in California and beyond.

Developing the vaccines was a gamble for the all the companies that tried, even with most drug makers accepting government grands.

In the winter of 1991, Karen Lynch sat by her Aunt Millie’s hospital bed. Lynch wasn’t the eldest of her family’s four siblings, but in the 16 years since their mother’s death, the 28-year-old had become Millie’s primary caretaker.When a priest arrived to deliver Millie’s last rites, Lynch was the only family member present. Hospital staff escorted her out of the room for the ceremony but brought her back in when Millie, fiery to her last days, protested.