Global Health Crisis Coordination Center

Listen to the experts.

The podcast focused on the issues that affect global health.

Every episode features leading voices from healthcare, government, and research sharing the latest thinking about the health issues that affect all of us. Listen in and expand your perspectives.

Episode 2

(published 11/19/2020)

Title: Do You Hear What I Hear? Give the Messenger a Shot

In this episode of GHC3 Talks, Dr. Rob Breiman and Ken Berta are joined by Dr. Dan Salmon of John Hopkins University School of Public Health. In the wake of recent vaccine press releases, they discuss how to build trust in the COVID-19 vaccines, why that is important, and the crucial role that messaging will play.

“It’s much easier to help form views through information and knowledge and science than it is to change them once they’re existing. So we need to be a part of teaching people, educating people and creating the mindset.”

Special Guests

References

Takeaways:

02:14 — Vaccines are a victim of their own success.
04:18 — Vaccine acceptance will move at the speed of trust.
13:55 — Educating amidst a world of misinformation is a challenge, so messaging is key.
14:41 — People’s trust in the vaccines is just as important as the vaccines’ effectiveness.
19:03 — Thorough regulatory review is critical to the safety, acceptance and trust in these vaccines.
22:45 — Vulnerable populations who need the vaccine may be reluctant to be first in line due to historic mistreatment and exploitation.
25:25 — Mass vaccination programs are in danger of being undermined by safety scares.
28:10 — Studies need to be credible, but more importantly believed by the public.

Episode 1

(published 10/22/2020)

The fight to “bare” arms: ethics and equity in COVID vaccination

In this, the inaugural episode of the GHC3 podcast, our hosts Ken Berta and Dr. Rob Breiman discuss the complex and multifaceted issues surrounding COVID-19 vaccination. To help tackle this topic, they are joined by two special guests: Jim Lavery, Professor of Global Health Ethics at Emory University and Dr. Theresa Cullen, Director of Pima County Public Health Department.

Jim shines a light on the role ethics could, and should, play in the prioritization of vaccine allocation, while Dr. Theresa Cullen underlines the need for community collaboration and data-driven decisions.

References

Takeaways:

01:54 — The WHO is still the leading voice – and that voice says a vaccine is not a silver bullet.
07:55 — Production of a safe and effective vaccine may turn out to be the easy part.
12:42 — How ethics can help us understand the problems we face.
16:50 — Vaccine allocation models: the WHO model versus the Fair Priority Model.
19:40 — The last mile of distribution will determine how vaccine equity is perceived.
25:05 — What are the ethical goals in equitable distribution?
28:14 — Technology is producing vaccine at an unprecedented rate, but its only worth it if people receive a shot in the arm.
31:20 — We have to approach this pandemic as an opportunity and recognize the solution lies in collaboration: our success depends upon each other.
38:05 — The haunting question is who will get what and how will we decide?
43:22 — The ultimate public health goal? Data-driven decisions that guide integrated health and human services.
47:04 — Just who are Spike and Surge?