Event Description
Public health authorities in the U.S. are analyzing data on the long-term effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and debating the need for vaccine booster shots. This webinar will bring together top experts in public health with different points of view. They will consider federal recommendations on Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine boosters, and the vaccination of children.
In this highly interactive webinar, panelists will discuss these pressing issues and respond to audience questions.
We are interested in hearing from you - send questions for the panel to [email protected] either before or during the lecture.
Follow us on twitter at @UMNconsortium and join the conversation by using #COVID19ethics.
Panelists
Eric J. Topol, MD
Eric Topol, MD, is an Executive Vice President at Scripps Research and the Founder and Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. His work melds genomics, big data, and both information technologies and digital health technologies to advance the promise of personalized medicine. In 2016, the National Institutes of Health awarded Dr. Topol a $207 million grant to lead a significant part of the All of Us Research Program, a long-term research endeavor aimed at understanding how a person’s genetics, environment and lifestyle can guide approaches to preventing or treating disease. Dr. Topol is the author of three bestselling books on the future of medicine: The Creative Destruction of Medicine, The Patient Will See You Now, and Deep Medicine.
Yvonne Maldonado, MD
Yvonne (Bonnie) Maldonado, MD, is Professor and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics at Stanford Medicine. She also directs Stanford's Global Child Health Program and serves as the Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. Dr. Maldonado's research focuses on epidemiologic aspects of viral vaccine development and prevention of perinatal HIV transmission. Her lab is also leading efforts to improve diagnostics and understanding of SARS-COV2 transmission.
Sarah S. Long, MD
Sarah Long, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine and Emeritus Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Dr. Long has served as Chair of the first Subspecialty Board of Pediatric Infectious Diseases of the American Board of Pediatrics (the national certifying agency for pediatrics and its subspecialties), Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Pediatrics, President of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (the national organization of subspecialists), and President of the Medical Staff at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. Dr. Long's principal areas of research are vaccine preventable diseases and management of common infectious diseases in children. She sits on research advisory committees for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Moderators
Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH
Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, is Regents Professor; McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health; the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP); and Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. He is also a Professor in the Technological Leadership Institute, College of Science and Engineering, and an Adjunct Professor in the Medical School. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Council on Foreign Relations. He has served as a high-level advisor on issues related to bioterrorism, public health preparedness, and infectious diseases.
Susan M. Wolf, JD
Professor Susan M. Wolf is a Regents Professor; McKnight Presidential Professor of Law, Medicine & Public Policy; Faegre Drinker Professor of Law; and Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She is Chair of the University’s Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Supplemental Information
Resources
- Laurie McGinley & Katie Shepherd. FDA advisers back Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children 5 to 11, saying benefits outweigh risks. Washington Post, Oct. 26, 2021.
- Sharon LaFraniere & Noah Weiland. An F.D.A. panel recommends the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for young children. New York Times, Oct. 26, 2021.
- Noah Weiland & Sharon LaFraniere. The F.D.A. authorizes Moderna and J.&J. boosters and allows a mix-and-match booster strategy. New York Times, Updated Oct. 25, 2021.
- Apoorva Mandavilli. The C.D.C. endorses Moderna and J.&J. boosters for millions of Americans. New York Times, Updated Oct. 25, 2021.
- Sharon LaFraniere & Noah Weiland. F.D.A. Says Pfizer Vaccine’s Benefits Outweigh Key Risks in Children 5 to 11. New York Times, Updated Oct. 24, 2021.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Who Is Eligible for a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot? Updated Oct. 22, 2021.
- Carolyn Y. Johnson & Laurie McGinley. FDA review appears to pave the way for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children 5 to 11. Washington Post, Oct. 22, 2021.
- Lena H. Sun & Katie Shepherd. CDC signs off on Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters and says people can get a shot different from their original one. Washington Post, Oct. 21, 2021.
- Sara Y. Tartof, Jeff M. Slezak, et al. Effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine up to 6 months in a large integrated health system in the USA: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet, 30:1407-16, Oct. 16, 2021.
- Scott Hensley. Moderna and J&J say their data supports COVID vaccine boosters. National Public Radio, Oct. 12, 2021.
- Mary Van Beusekom. Protection, immune response fall after Pfizer COVID vaccine, data show. Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP), Oct. 7, 2021.
- Lianna Matt McLernon. COVID vaccine-related myocarditis rare, usually mild, studies say. Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP), Oct. 7, 2021.
- Stephanie Soucheray. Pfizer asks FDA to authorize COVID-19 vaccine in kids. Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP), Oct. 7, 2021.
- Yinon M. Bar-on, Yair Goldberg, et al. Protection of BNT162b2 Vaccine Booster against Covid-19 in Israel. New England Journal of Medicine 385:1393-1400, Oct. 7, 2021.
- Hiam Chemaitelly, Patrick Tang, et al. Waning of BNT162b2 Vaccine Protection against SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Qatar. New England Journal of Medicine, Oct. 6, 2021.
- Francis Collins. The Latest on COVID-19 Boosters. NIH Director's Blog, Sept. 28, 2021.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Statement on ACIP Booster Recommendations. Sept. 24, 2021.
- Helen Branswell. Advisory committee recommends wide swath of Americans be offered Covid-19 vaccine boosters. STAT, Sept. 23, 2021.
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. FDA Authorizes Booster Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Certain Populations. Sept. 22, 2021.
- Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson Announces Real-World Evidence and Phase 3 Data Confirming Strong and Long-Lasting Protection of Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S. Sept. 21, 2021.
- Erin Digitale. When can you vaccinate your kids? What we know as FDA prepares to consider data from studies. Stanford Medicine, Sept. 21, 2021.
- Isabella Kwai, Benjamin Mueller, David C. Kaelber. The W.H.O. urges wealthy countries to halt booster shots and send more doses to poorer nations. New York Times, Aug. 13, 2021.
- Mendel E. Singer, Ira B. Taub, et al. Risk of Myocarditis from COVID-19 Infection in People Under Age 20: A Population-Based Analysis. medRxiv, Jul. 27, 2021.