News08/13/2020

HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO A SAFE, EFFECTIVE COVID-19 VACCINE?

How Close are we to a Safe, Effective COVID 19 Vaccine?

The COVID-19 vaccine is on track to become the fastest-developed vaccine in history, but that doesn’t mean critical steps are being skipped.

Ruth Karron, who leads the Center for Immunization Research at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is one of the top vaccine experts in the world, serving on vaccine committees for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

She recently spoke with Josh Sharfstein, professor and vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Bloomberg School, about where things stand in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine and how that process will unfold in the months ahead. This conversation is excerpted from the July 31 episode of the Public Health on Call podcast.