© 2024 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
TECHNOTE: WKAR broadcast signals will be off-air or low power during tower maintenance

What To Know About Coronavirus Vaccine Development

In this July 27, 2020 file photo, a nurse prepares a shot as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway in Binghamton, N.Y. (Hans Pennink/AP)
In this July 27, 2020 file photo, a nurse prepares a shot as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway in Binghamton, N.Y. (Hans Pennink/AP)

We talk about where we are in the development of a coronavirus vaccine and what we know about the criteria for making a vaccine public.  

Guests

Andrew Joseph, reporter for STAT News. (@DrewQJoseph)

Natalie Dean, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida, specializing in emerging infectious diseases and vaccine study design. (@nataliexdean)

Dr. Eric Topol, director and founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. Chair of innovative medicine, executive vice president and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research. (@EricTopol)

From The Reading List

STAT News: “The Road Ahead: Charting the coronavirus pandemic over the next 12 months — and beyond” — “Think back through the pandemic. Think about the moments that stand out as beacons in the haze — signposts of how it would change all of our lives.”

New York Times: “Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker” — “Vaccines typically require years of research and testing before reaching the clinic, but scientists are racing to produce a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine by next year.”

NPR: “CDC Publishes — Then Withdraws — Guidance On Aerosol Spread Of Coronavirus” — “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted guidance Friday evening saying that aerosol transmission might be one of the ‘most common’ ways the coronavirus is spreading — and then took the guidance down on Monday.”

Wall Street Journal: “Russia Strikes Deals to Sell Its Coronavirus Vaccine Internationally” — “Russia has struck preliminary agreements to sell its Covid-19 vaccine to more than 10 countries in Asia, South America and the Middle East, a development that could give Moscow valuable economic and political leverage internationally.”

STAT News: “Not trusting the FDA, Black doctors’ group creates panel to vet Covid-19 vaccines” — “As trust in federal health agencies has withered over the last few months, a group of Black physicians has been working on an antidote: creating their own expert task force to independently vet regulators’ decisions about Covid-19 drugs and vaccines as well as government recommendations for curbing the pandemic.”

STAT News: “AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine study put on hold due to suspected adverse reaction in participant in the U.K.” — “A large, Phase 3 study testing a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford at dozens of sites across the U.S. has been put on hold due to a suspected serious adverse reaction in a participant in the United Kingdom.”

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Journalism at this station is made possible by donors who value local reporting. Donate today to keep stories like this one coming. It is thanks to your generosity that we can keep this content free and accessible for everyone. Thanks!