SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – In the midst of a global pandemic, medical experts developed and rolled out a vaccine for COVID-19 all in a matter of about a year. But because of this expedited process, there are doubts, questions, and concerns as to the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine. Three experts from University of Utah Health joined ABC4’s Rosie Nguyen on the CW30 News at 7 p.m. to explain the process for creating, testing, and evaluating the vaccines.
Dr. Michael Kay, Director of Biological Chemistry at the University of Utah discussed the technology behind the vaccine development, how the mRNA vaccine works, how the vaccine was approved so quickly, and whether the vaccine will work against new variants.
Dr. Ann Johnson, Director of the Institutional Review Board at the University of Utah discussed what happens during the three stages of the vaccine trials, what safety measures are in place, what they observed during the COVID-19 trials, and what she would say to those who are hesitant to take the vaccine.
Dr. Andrew Pavia, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah discussed the systems used to monitor vaccine safety post-trial, what they’re seeing in the data about COVID-19 vaccines after being administered to patients, and what measures are in place to stop the process if it is found to be unsafe.
To watch the full IN FOCUS discussion with Dr. Kay, Dr. Johnson, and Dr. Pavia, click on the video at the top of the article.
Catch IN FOCUS discussions with ABC4’s Rosie Nguyen weeknights on the CW30 News at 7 p.m.
