The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) planning document says vaccine might be available by early November 2020 yet others assume more realistically, that by January 2021, more COVID-19 vaccine may be available for distribution. The CDC “COVID-19 VACCINATION PROGRAM INTERIM PLAYBOOK FOR JURISDICTION OPERATIONS – September 16, 2020” is available online at
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/downloads/COVID-19-Vaccination-Program-Interim_Playbook.pdf.
Vaccine technology is not complicated, any research-intensive academic university has the technology to develop the vaccine. The challenge is to get through the clinical trials gantlet with a product proved to be safe and effective. Some remain optimistic that Pfizer and Moderna, have vaccine trials almost fully enrolled, although Pfizer announced early in September that it plans to expand its vaccine trial to 44,000 volunteers to include 16-18-year-olds, as well as people with medical conditions such as HIV and hepatitis. Moderna recently released a plan outlining how it conducts its Phase 3 clinical trials, the first of the major vaccine companies to do so. Tune into this webinar hosted by ASGE on a discussion between Dr. Klaus Mergener and a leading vaccine development expert, Professor Florian Krammer. Hear the latest information and development trends and how these trends potentially will impact public health and GI practices.