With coronavirus vaccines now available, what are the timeline and prospects for “herd immunity” and return to a new normal? Marc Lipsitch of @Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health returns to JAMA’s Q&A series with Paul Biddinger, MD, Director of @MassGeneralHospital’s Center for Disaster Medicine, to discuss. Recorded December 17, 2020.
Additional Resources:
1. Article: Herd Immunity and Implications for SARS-CoV-2 Control
2. Patient Information: What is Herd Immunity?
3. Video livestream: Herd Immunity as a Pandemic Strategy
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Topics discussed in this interview:
0:00 Introduction
0:44 Dr Biddinger’s role in Massachusetts
1:33 Vaccine distribution in Massachusetts
3:57 Who was prioritized for the vaccine?
4:38 Deciding who to prioritize
5:19 Distribution to hospitals
6:34 Are spouses also eligible for vaccination?
7:21 Are any doses going to nursing homes?
8:08 Initial rollout surprises
9:10 NAM vs ACIP rollout recommendations
11:55 Phase 2 distribution in Massachusetts
12:23 How long will the first phase take?
13:49 When does phase 2 begin?
14:29 Vaccinating influencers to address hesitancy
18:02 When do we get to herd immunity?
25:43 As more vaccines become available, who gets vaccinated next?
28:50 Number of people who need to be vaccinated
33:28 Moderna and Pfizer distribution in the coming weeks
34:37 Cold chain for Moderna
36:04 Vaccinating placebo recipients
39:40 Delaying second doses to vaccinate more people
42:04 Other vaccine candidates – what’s next?
44:00 Distribution to low income countries
44:33 Vaccinating people previously infected with COVID
45:53 Path to mRNA vaccines being approved
48:26 Outlook for the next 2-3 months
52:39 Closing remarks
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