Prognosis: Breakthrough

The approved COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna and the Pfizer and BioNTech partnership use genetic material called messenger RNA to effectively transform the body’s own cells into vaccine factories. This approach is a first for vaccines. It relies on decades of clinical research into whether messenger RNA technology can be used to treat a broad range of ailments, from cancer to the seasonal flu. Naomi Kresge explores whether the validation of this breakthrough technology during COVID-19 could bring about a whole new field of medicine.

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The U.S. has begun a massive vaccination campaign to fight the coronavirus. But the effort will have plenty of challenges, including convincing people to get immunized. It’s not the first time the country has rolled out this kind of public health initiative. John Lauerman spoke with infectious-disease specialist William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University to learn more.

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U.S. companies are taking some of the first concrete steps to prepare for the unprecedented and complex task of distributing hundreds of millions of doses to the American workforce. That means, for some: procuring deep-freezers to store vaccines or setting up health clinics at their facilities. Others are weighing whether to require vaccination for employees returning to in-person work. And, as Ryan Beene reports, several industries are lobbying to get their workers near the front of the line after the first doses go to health-care workers and nursing home residents.

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Just one month ago, Iowa experienced its worst Covid-19 surge yet. Coronavirus cases began soaring there in early November, as they have throughout the United States. By the middle of the month, Iowa was recording about 4,000 new cases every day. But this week, staff at a University of Iowa Health Care system finally had reason to celebrate. The first doses of Pfizer’s vaccine arrived at the Iowa City location Monday morning, in tiny vials packed in dry ice. Angelica Lavito spoke to healthcare workers there just after they became some of the first Americans outside of clinical trials to get immunized against the deadly disease.

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As the first shots of the Covid-19 vaccines in the U.S. are administered, one of many big hurdles has yet to be cleared: States must transport and distribute the massive orders to the millions who need it. The state of Louisiana has been thinking about this problem for months. In November, they decided to test their vaccination strategy, using the flu vaccine. Angelica Lavito went to Shreveport as the project was unfolding, to find out what a mass vaccination looks like during a pandemic.

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At the center of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s program to accelerate the development of Covid treatments and vaccines, is a man named Moncef Slaoui. Dr. Slaoui is chief scientific adviser for the Operation, and is trying to leverage decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry to secure deals that can help curb the pandemic. Riley Griffin spoke to him about the possibility that his work might accelerate a treatment for the deadliest Covid-19 cases, a critical step in the months before a vaccine is widespread.

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The U.K. began administering the first Covid-19 vaccine this week, and the U.S. may do the same within days. But, the emergence of these vaccines brings tough choices around who gets it first and how it will be distributed. Bloomberg senior editor Jason Gale spoke with an ethics expert about the thinking behind some of these decisions and how the current vaccines could affect how we develop future ones.

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The coming week could mark an early turning point in the U.S. battle against Covid-19. An advisory panel made up of top medical experts will meet December 10th to help the Food and Drug Administration review the drug for possible emergency authorization. That would clear the way to making it a top weapon against the virus. Reporter Anna Edney breaks down the next steps in the approval process, and helps explain the reality of making the vaccine available to the public.

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Weeks before U.S. states expect to receive their first shipments of Covid-19 vaccines, they’re getting conflicting messages from the federal government about exactly how many doses may arrive. Some governors have made splashy announcements about how much of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccines they expect to get if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorizes them this month. Other states can’t provide a solid answer. But all of them must submit orders and distribution plans Friday. Reporter Angelica Lavito reports that the shifting expectations are creating all sorts of problems.

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One of Joe Biden’s first acts as president-elect was to announce a Covid-19 advisory board, putting the fight against the pandemic front and center in his presidential plans. On today's episode, a member of that advisory board talks to us about how a Biden White House plans to overhaul the government’s Coronavirus response.

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