This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
We examined the impact of the pandemi process, which entered our lives as of 2019, particularly on Generation Z, from multiple perspectives. We can say that we read and spoke most about its reflections in the fields of psychology and economics. One of the most difficult things for humanity to cope with is uncertainty. With the pandemic we felt this uncertainty deeply, losing the predictability of our lives down to our bones. This uncertainty also played a role in our educational lives. As schools moved home, young people and stressed families became anxious about the risk of declining educational quality.
We can also say that cultural changes occurred during this period. While hand-kissing during holidays gave way to limited communication via phone calls, our holiday culture had to be put on hold. We could add many more concerns we experienced, but we wish to focus on the one we felt most intensely: Our health.
It is possible to say that healthcare institutions were the places where the effects of the pandemic were most acutely felt. We speak of hospitals where tears were shed while bidding farewell to recovering patients, and where healthcare workers could only see their families from afar while caring for critically ill patients. In a sense, the pandemic was a process of death and mourning.
Alongside the daily figures of cases and losses we followed each evening, we also knew there would be a hopeful message: one that would stop the losses, restore our normal lives, and reduce our anxiety and social distancing. One morning we woke up realizing we would not return to our old normal.
The new normal we awaited would come from the scientific community. We can say that the first glimmers of science’s light appeared when this hopeful message came from two Turkish doctors working at BioNTech, the company founded in Germany to develop kanser ilaçları. Just as no success is accidental, the work of Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci on vaccines was not the result of chance.
Uğur Şahin, who began working in laboratories in his early twenties, worked as a physician in the leukemia department in the 1990s and later in oncology. He recalls his days studying medicine at the University of Cologne: “We had classes all day until 4:00 p.m. While other students went home, I went to the laboratory to work. Sometimes I worked until 4:00 a.m.”
Özlem Türeci, a faculty member at Mainz University, is recognized as a pioneer in cancer immunotherapy. Together, Türeci and Şahin frequently collaborated and founded Ganymed Pharmaceuticals to develop monoclonal antibodies against cancer. Ganymed, a leader in targeted antibody therapies for cancer, was sold to a Japanese company in 2016. This sale placed the couple among the wealthiest people in Germany. We first heard of these two successful individuals when they applied for regulatory approval of the vaccine they claimed offered 90 percent protection. Andreas Kuhn, Senior Vice President of BioNTech, had this to say about Uğur Şahin at an award ceremony in 2019: “I believe one of his greatest strengths is his ability to inspire people about things.”
Now, the couple has received the reward for years of research: the discovery of a vaccine that halted the pandemic. We now hear their names among award recipients. In September 2021, the University of Cologne awarded Türeci and Şahin honorary doctorates “for their contributions to the advancement of science in the field of RNA aşısı.” They have also received honors in Greece, Germany, and our country, reaping the fruits of their perseverance against humanity’s uncertainty.
The pair, who continue their research on a cancer vaccine, have signed another major success. The first results of their long-term work were presented at the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In a study involving 16 pancreatic cancer patients, nine doses of the vaccine were administered at regular intervals after surgery. Half of the patients achieved remission as a result of the positive outcomes. On this basis, Özlem Türeci stated that this vaccine has ignited hope for other kanser tedavilerine. Finally, we can highlight two qualities that Şahin and Türeci undoubtedly demonstrated during the pandemic: Determination and courage.