The first vaccine in the U.S. has been granted Emergency Use Authorization and begun distribution and inoculation among the first group of recipients: frontline healthcare providers and assisted-living residents. Questions remain, however, about Pfizer's data and long-term studies. To learn more we chatted with Pfizer's Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for viral Vaccines, Dr. Phil Dormitzer, who leads Pfizer's research and development into viral vaccines.

The two vaccines showing most promise - and moving first through the regulatory process - are a new type of vaccine known as messenger RNA vaccines. Before COVID-19, mRNA vaccines have never been on the market, but they have been studied. To learn more about the mRNA vaccine technology we chatted with Richard Kuhn, Ph D, who holds an endowed chair at Purdue University and serves as editor-in-chief of Virology.

As pharmaceutical companies move at warp speed to develop a vaccine, the U.S. agency at the center of emergency approvals is "working around the clock" to evaluate whether the limited data meets the standard for emergency approval, FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn tells our weekly podcast Track the Vax. So far, U.S.- based Moderna as well as Pfizer and BioNTech have both submitted requests for emergency FDA authorization for their respective vaccines. "We're looking at the data right now and it's too early to draw any conclusions but I can assure you our team is working night and day on this," Hahn said. "When the data analysis is ready... we'll make that available to the american people and the committee." The first immunisations using the BioNTech and Pfizer vaccine could take place in the U.K as early as this week. The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to discuss the request for emergency use authorization on December 10. Hahn told us he won't prejudge what their decision will be, but says their job is to weigh a variety of criteria as it reviews the data, including the participants included in the studies.

Following the race to the COVID-19 Vaccine. Track the Vax will be a limited-series podcast with a goal of explaining how the COVID vaccines work, understanding the mechanism behind their effectiveness, talking to those behind the safety goggles...and trying to stay out of the political fray…and get back to the science. However, like all things these days, when it comes to FDA approval, we may have to step into the political ring. As the government possibly prepares to fast-track a vaccine before phase 3 trials end and a recent vaccine trial was "paused" due to political pressure, we will offer either episodes or perhaps supplemental shows to dive into those issues (in addition to the weekly drop).