Coronavirus Conversations: On The Ground: Inside the COVID-19 Vaccine Trials

Co-Hosted with the Duke Global Health Institute, the Harvard Petrie-Flom Center For Bioethics, and the Yale School of Public Health.

Ten months into the pandemic, we are making rapid progress toward developing a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, with several vaccines in Phase 3 trials in the US alone. Despite this remarkable speed, concerned citizens and members of the medical and public health communities naturally have questions: What does it mean about overall safety and effectiveness that some projects have been paused to ensure the safety and health of vaccine trial participants? Who has been included in the trial process, and how representative are they of our society? When the first vaccines are found to be safe and effective, how effective can we expect them to be, based on current indications?

Panelists:

Cindy Gay, M.D., M.P.H.; Principal Investigator, University of North Carolina site of the Moderna SARS-COV-2 vaccine trial, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases; Medical Director, UNC HIV Cure Center

Emmanuel (Chip) Walter, M.D.; Principal Investigator, Duke University site of the Pfizer SARS-COV-2 vaccine trial, Professor of Pediatrics, Affiliate, Duke Global Health Institute, Member in the Duke Clinical Research Institute, Member of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute

Moderator:

Nita Farahany, J.D., Ph.D.; Duke University; Director, Duke Initiative For Science & Society; Professor of Law and Philosophy, Duke University