Name: Busting myths about COVID-19 vaccines with a UVM infectious disease expert
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Busting myths about COVID-19 vaccines with a UVM infectious disease expert

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AdvertisementEpidemiologist Dr. Kristen Pierce answers questions about vaccinesBusting myths about COVID-19 vaccines with a UVM infectious disease expertEpidemiologist Dr. Kristen Pierce answers questions about vaccinesHide TranscriptShow TranscriptKRISTEN PIERCE -- A U-V-M EPIDEMIOLOGIST -- TO BUST SOME OF THOSE TALL TALES. DR. PIERCE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT AT THE UNIVERSITY IT -- RESEARCHERS ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP A VACCINE AT A RAPID PACE. CAN YOU JUST GIVE US SOME CONTEXT AS TO HOW HOW QUICKLY THEY'RE TRYING TO PULL THIS OFF? YEAH THANKS AND A GREAT QUESTION THAT I THINK IS ON EVERYONE'S MIND. I THINK IT'S TRUE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ANY THERAPUTIC -- THE PACE OR DEVELOPMENT TIME AND TAKE YEARS. I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE IS THAT THE ENTIRE GLOBE IS LOOKING FOR A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE VACCINE AGAINST COVID. AND IN THAT RESPECT THE AMOUNT OF SCIENTIFIC PEOPLE POWER, RESOURCES AND FUNDING THAT'S BEING DEVOTED TOWARDS THIS IS REALLY UNPRECEDENTED. AND SO WHILE THE PACE IS ACCELERATED I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE NORMAL SAFETY CHECKS THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE FOR ANY SORT OF "NORMAL VACCINE DEVELOPMENT" HAVE NOT CHANGED AT ALL. THERE ARE NO CORNERS BEING CUT IN TERMS OF SAFETY IN THIS WHOLE POINT OUT. DEVELOPING A VACCINE IS ONE THING AND GETTING PEOLPE TO TAKE IT IS REALLY ANOTHER. A RECENT RECENT GALLUP POLL SHOWED THAT 35-PERCENT OF AMERICANS WOULDN'T OPT FOR A FREE COVID-19 VACCINE TODAY EVEN IF IT WAS FDA APPROVED. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE NERVOUS ABOUT THIS? WELL AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S EVERYBODY'S CHOICE IF THEY WANT TO GET A VACCINE. WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THESE ARE PHASE THREE STUDIES, SO THAT'S THE PHASE OF ANY VACCINE DEVELOPMENT WHERE WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT EFFECTIVENESS. THE SAFETY HAS BEEN PRETTY WELL ESTABLISHED. AND THESE VACCINES -- AT LEAST THE ONES THAT ARE THE FRONTRUNNERS -- SO THERE ARE TWO COMPANIES: MODERNA AND ASTRAZENECA WHO ARE THE FURTHEST ALONG IN PHASE THREE STUDIES. AT THIS POINT THOSE VACCINES HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AND HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO BE SAFE. HOW DO RESEARCHERS REALLY DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF A VACCINE BEFORE IT'S ROLLED OUT? WHAT HAPPENS IS -- AFTER IT'S ROLLED OUT? WHAT HAPPENS IS -- AFTER THE VACCINE IS GIVEN BEFORE IT IS ROLLED OUT -- ANY VACCINE VOLUNTEER WE MEASURE THAT PERSON'S ANTIBODIES AGAINST THE VACCINE SO HOW WELL DOES THAT INDIVIDUAL'S IMMUNE SYSTEM RESPOND TO THE VACCINE? ... AND THEN THE BIGGEST MEASURE OF EFFICACY ONCE IT'S ROLLED OUT IT'S ROLLED OUT TO LARGE-SCALE STUDIES ... DO WE SEE LESS DISEASE -- IS IT REALLY PREVENTING DISEASE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT'S REALLY KEY? CAN YOU CATCH COVID-19 FROM A VACCINE? IT'S A QUESTION THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK AND THERE ARE VACCINES THAT ARE LIVE VACCINES SO THINGS LIKE THE MEASELS VACCINE IS A LIVE VACCINE. THESE COVID VACCINES THAT ARE IN DEVELOPMENT NOW ARE NOT LIVE VACCINES TO THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE VACCINE COULD REPLICATE IN THE HUMAN BODY OR GROW AND REPRODUCE AND CAUSE PEOPLE TO GET SICK SO NO YOU CAN NOT GET COVID-19 FROM THESE VACCINES. ALRIGHT -- DR KRISTEN PIERCE FROM THE UVM MEDIAdvertisementBusting myths about COVID-19 vaccines with a UVM infectious disease expertEpidemiologist Dr. Kristen Pierce answers questions about vaccinesKristen Pierce, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Vermont Medical Center, spoke with NBC5's Tom Garris about some myths about COVID-19 vaccines. UVMMC has an expanded frequently asked questions section on its website. Q: Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine at a rapid pace. Can you give us some context as to how how quickly they're trying to pull this off?A: I think it's true that when you look at any therapeutic, the pace or development time can take years. I think what's important about this process and what makes it unique is that the entire globe is looking for a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19. And in that respect the amount of scientific people power, resources and funding that's being devoted towards this is really unprecedented. And so, while the pace is accelerated, I think it's really important to remember that the normal safety checks that are put in place for any sort of "normal vaccine development" have not changed at all. There are no corners being cut in terms of safety in this whole process, and that's really important to point out.Q: Developing a vaccine is one thing and getting people take it is another. A recent Gallup poll showed that 35% of Americans wouldn't opt for a free COVID-19 vaccine today, even if it was FDA approved. What do you say to those people who may be nervous about this?A: Well, and obviously it's everybody's choice if they want to get a vaccine, what I would say is that these are phase three studies, so that's the phase of any vaccine development where we're really looking at effectiveness. The safety has been pretty well established. And these vaccines -- at least the ones that are the front runners -- so there are two companies: Moderna and Astrazeneca who are the furthest along in phase three studies. At this point, those vaccines have been given to thousands of people and have been proven to be safe.Q: How do researchers really determine the efficacy of a vaccine before it's rolled out?A: What happens is -- after the vaccine is given, before it is rolled out -- any vaccine volunteer -- we measure that person's antibodies against the vaccine. So how well does that individual's immune system respond to the vaccine? And then, the biggest measure of efficacy, once it's rolled out to large-scale studies: do we see less disease? Is it really preventing disease in the community? That's really key.Q: Can you catch COVID-19 from a vaccine?A: It's a question that a lot of people ask, and there are vaccines that are live vaccines so things like the Measles vaccine is a live vaccine. These COVID-19 vaccines that are in development now are not live vaccines, so there is no way that the vaccine could replicate in the human body or grow and reproduce and cause people to get sick. So, no, you can not get COVID-19 from these vaccines.Kristen Pierce, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Vermont Medical Center, spoke with NBC5's Tom Garris about some myths about COVID-19 vaccines. UVMMC has an expanded section on its website. Q: Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine at a rapid pace. Can you give us some context as to how how quickly they're trying to pull this off?AdvertisementA: I think it's true that when you look at any therapeutic, the pace or development time can take years. I think what's important about this process and what makes it unique is that the entire globe is looking for a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19. And in that respect the amount of scientific people power, resources and funding that's being devoted towards this is really unprecedented. And so, while the pace is accelerated, I think it's really important to remember that the normal safety checks that are put in place for any sort of "normal vaccine development" have not changed at all. There are no corners being cut in terms of safety in this whole process, and that's really important to point out.Q: Developing a vaccine is one thing and getting people take it is another. A recent showed that 35% of Americans wouldn't opt for a free COVID-19 vaccine today, even if it was FDA approved. What do you say to those people who may be nervous about this?A: Well, and obviously it's everybody's choice if they want to get a vaccine, what I would say is that these are phase three studies, so that's the phase of any vaccine development where we're really looking at effectiveness. The safety has been pretty well established. And these vaccines -- at least the ones that are the front runners -- so there are two companies: Moderna and Astrazeneca who are the furthest along in phase three studies. At this point, those vaccines have been given to thousands of people and have been proven to be safe.Q: How do researchers really determine the efficacy of a vaccine before it's rolled out?A: What happens is -- after the vaccine is given, before it is rolled out -- any vaccine volunteer -- we measure that person's antibodies against the vaccine. So how well does that individual's immune system respond to the vaccine? And then, the biggest measure of efficacy, once it's rolled out to large-scale studies: do we see less disease? Is it really preventing disease in the community? That's really key.Q: Can you catch COVID-19 from a vaccine?A: It's a question that a lot of people ask, and there are vaccines that are live vaccines so things like the Measles vaccine is a live vaccine. These COVID-19 vaccines that are in development now are not live vaccines, so there is no way that the vaccine could replicate in the human body or grow and reproduce and cause people to get sick. So, no, you can not get COVID-19 from these vaccines.Loading more articles...

AdvertisementEpidemiologist Dr. Kristen Pierce answers questions about vaccinesBusting myths about COVID-19 vaccines with a UVM infectious disease expertEpidemiologist Dr. Kristen Pierce answers questions about vaccinesHide TranscriptShow TranscriptKRISTEN PIERCE -- A U-V-M EPIDEMIOLOGIST -- TO BUST SOME OF THOSE TALL TALES. DR. PIERCE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT AT THE UNIVERSITY IT -- RESEARCHERS ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP A VACCINE AT A RAPID PACE. CAN YOU JUST GIVE US SOME CONTEXT AS TO HOW HOW QUICKLY THEY'RE TRYING TO PULL THIS OFF? YEAH THANKS AND A GREAT QUESTION THAT I THINK IS ON...

Busting myths about COVID-19 vaccines with a UVM infectious disease expert

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