In episode 2 of our ‘COVID19 Road to a vaccine series’, Associate Professor Nigel Crawford, from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), Melbourne, Australia, speaks with Professor Kathryn Edwards. Dr Edwards is a professor of paediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is also vice-chair for clinical research. She is an internationally-recognised expert in vaccinology and, in particular, vaccine safety.
They will be discussing the important topic of vaccine safety when developing a new vaccine, including some of the challenges faced in the COVID19 vaccine development pathway.
In this episode they discuss:
- Professor Edwards’ perspective on vaccine safety across her roles as a clinician/scientist/researcher
- Adverse events following immunisation and their implications when developing new vaccines
- Vaccine safety across the different phases (I to IV) of clinical trials
- The importance of data safety and monitoring committees in vaccine trials
- What we can learn from the historical research into the development of SARS and MERS vaccines
- What is ADE (antibody-dependent enhancement of virus infection) and why is it an important consideration in COVID19 vaccine development?
- What are adjuvants and how does the use of them affect safety planning?
- Should pregnant women and children be involved in vaccine trials and how can their participation be managed safely?
- The importance of transparency and honest communication with the public in regards to vaccine safety
You can listen to the episode via our podcast page or via the links below: