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What To Know About Coronavirus Vaccine Development

caption: 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)
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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 2020 NPR]

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