As the world continues to wrestle with the pandemic, many of us are wondering if the development of a COVID-19 vaccine would be the decisive strike in attacking the coronavirus and reducing the pandemic.
This topic was one of many that a group of international experts discussed as part of this year’s Global Health Consortium’s conference , hosted virtually Oct. 6-9 by FIU’s Robert Stempel School of Social Work & Public Health.
“The Global Health Conference of the Americas is a pivotal event that brings together heads of state, political leaders, international organizations, top scientists, policymakers and experts in the field on the most important global health issues of the day,” says Dr. Carlos Espinal, director of the Global Health Consortium. “This year’s conference also brought the leaders at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic together to share the latest research, findings, discoveries and lessons learned.”
The Conference of the Americas featured 64 global experts, including a keynote by the president of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez. More than 2,700 attendees representing 64 different countries from India and Indonesia to Finland, France, Colombia and Cambodia registered for the event. Online viewership smashed expectations: There were more than 17,000 views of the conference content, either from live streaming or accessing recorded sessions.
The conference dedicated an entire day to explore issues related to immunizations. A group of experts dove in-depth into COVID-19 vaccines through a panel discussion.
Speakers discussed a wide range of topics including the role of immunizations; the lack of trust in possible COVID-19 vaccines; anti-science and anti-vaccine movements; the need for resources and vaccines for poverty-stricken regions and much more.
Panelists agreed that an effective vaccine will go a long way in protecting us from contracting COVID-19. However, the experts cautioned against viewing a COVID-19 vaccine – and especially the first wave of vaccines produced – as the end-all solution to the pandemic.
In fact, Dr. Peter Hotez, physician-scientist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, explained that for the foreseeable future, a COVID-19 vaccine may need to be combined with wearing a mask, social distancing and other public health measures. The reason behind this?
“We really don’t know the performance of these vaccines and won’t fully know for a year or two,” he said. “Many of these vaccines [early vaccines] may need boosters. New vaccines will be coming down the pike continuously. It’s going to be a slowly evolving process.”
He added, “The good news is that I think a year from now the world will look much better from now. And two years from now it’ll look better than one year from now. That’s the timeline we’re talking about.”
In the meantime, communication is key. The panel discussed the need to build trust in COVID-19 vaccines among the general public; the moral responsibility to communicate information about vaccines and their development; and the importance of dispelling myths and misunderstandings of anti-science and anti-vaccine movements.
View the panel discussion and access recordings of the entire conference .