Virologist Behind COVID Vaccine Mandates Almyra Fuller Died Suddenly Last Week
A top virologist and member of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel who supported granting emergency use authorization for the COVID vaccine has died suddenly.
Dr. Almyra “A” Oveta Fuller, 67, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology and member of the FDA vaccine and biological products advisory committee, died suddenly on Friday morning.
Fuller died on November 18, 2022, after a brief non-COVID-related illness, according to her obituary.
She played a crucial role in securing the emergency use authorizations for the three COVID vaccines.
Dr. Fuller also favored including COVID-19 vaccinations on the CDC’s list of mandatory immunizations for school entry, according to Dr. Panda.
She also advocated for the use of the COVID vaccine among pregnant women.
Rev. Dr. Almyra Oveta Fuller was born on August 31, 1955, in Mebane, North Carolina. Deborah Woods Fuller, her mother was a teacher and her father Herbert R. Fuller managed the family farm. Fuller grew up near Yanceyville, North Carolina. As a child biology intrigued her at an early age. She was amazed at how her grandmother recovered quickly from being bitten by a water moccasin after receiving antivenin, which was an antidote for snake venom. Although her grandmother’s snake bite contribute to her appreciation for biology, there were also two notable biology teachers, Ms. Elam and Mr. Majette who inspired her as well. After graduating from high school, she earned an Aubrey Lee Brooks Scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a BA in biology in 1977. Fuller continued her education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to complete her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology in 1983.
