Vaccines have revolutionized public healthcare, helping us eradicate a number of debilitating and deadly diseases. And yet, many people are hesitant to get vaccinated for COVID-19. So, how do the new Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccines work? And are they truly safe? 

On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hosts Dr. Lotte Mulder and Dr. Dan Milner are joined by Ms. Lindsey Clark, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM, Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Sciences at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Dr. Hana M. El Sahly, MD, Associate Professor of Molecular Virology and Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Baylor College of Medicine, and Mr. Anthony Reed, Founder and CEO of Kidney Trails and ASCP Patient Champion, to discuss vaccine safety. 

Dr. El Sahly explains how the COVID vaccines work, walking listeners through the most common reactions to the Pfizer and Moderna iterations and describing how a vaccine’s safety is ensured—even when its release is accelerated via Emergency Use Authorization. Listen in for Ms. Clark and Mr. Reed’s insight on how they, as high-risk patients, made the decision to get vaccinated and learn what we can do to encourage vaccination among those with reservations. 

Topics Covered  

· The four main categories of vaccines and why live, attenuated vaccines are not recommended for immunocompromised or immunosuppressed individuals
· How mRNA vaccines deliver the code necessary to trigger an immune response and the most common local and systemic reactions to the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines
· The rigorous testing and approval process for vaccines 
· Why COVID-19 vaccines received Emergency Use Authorization and how EUA differs from approval
· Safety data the medical community is gathering as COVID vaccines are rolled out 
· Open questions around whether existing COVID vaccines protect against variants
· Concerns of high-risk patients about getting the COVID vaccine 
· Why it’s crucial for people who’ve been vaccinated to continue social distancing and wearing masks until we’ve built herd immunity
· Hesitations around getting vaccinated for COVID and what how to encourage vaccination among those with reservations 

Connect with ASCP 

ASCP
ASCP on Facebook
ASCP on Instagram
ASCP on Twitter 

Connect with Ms. Clark 

Ms. Clark on LinkedIn 

Connect with Dr. El Sahly 

Dr. El Sahly at Baylor College of Medicine 

Connect with Mr. Reed 

Mr. Reed on LinkedIn 

Connect with Dr. Milner & Dr. Mulder 

Dr. Milner on Twitter
Dr. Mulder on Twitter 

Resources 

Inside the Lab in the ASCP Store
Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial Data
Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial Data
ASCP Patient Champions