WASHINGTON (Jan. 25, 2023)--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering an annual Covid-19 vaccine rollout strategy, much like the way flu shots are handled. The FDA said this week that Covid-19 vaccines would need annual updates to match the circulating virus strains and the agency would then roll out the shots every September to align with a fall vaccine campaign.
Adults would get one annual COVID 19 vaccine while children and immunocompromised adults could get two shots a year under the plan.
The FDA’s advisory panel meets on Thursday Jan. 26 to discuss the proposed vaccine strategy. GW faculty experts are available to offer insight, commentary and analysis. If you would like to schedule an interview with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].
Lynn R. Goldman, the Michael and Lori Milken Dean of Milken Institute School of Public Health, is an expert on emergency/public health preparedness and has deep knowledge of the intersection of policy and public health. She can talk about COVID-19 prevention strategies including vaccines, distribution, access and ways to protect society’s most vulnerable populations. She is also a pediatrician and can discuss the importance of vaccinating kids against COVID-19.
Sara Rosenbaum, the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy, is an expert on how policy decisions, such as cuts to Medicaid, community health centers and vaccine distribution to disadvantaged communities, including immigrant and minority neighborhoods. Professor Rosenbaum is a leading public health law scholar who has devoted her career to issues such as health justice and the safety net system for medically underserved populations. She can also talk about the cost of COVID-19 vaccines.
Jeffrey Levi, a professor of health policy and management, is an expert on how policy decisions — such as cuts to public health funding and Medicaid could hamper the United States’ ability to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. For 10 years, he was executive director of Trust for America’s Health, where he led annual assessments of the preparedness of states and the federal government. He can talk about distribution of the vaccine, including the role of health departments.
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