[WEBCAST] COVID-19 Vaccines: What To Expect in 2021

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Schedule

Thursday, January 7, 2021
7:30 p.m. Moderated Discussion
8:10 p.m. Audience Q&A — Questions welcome via YouTube Live or Facebook Live

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Since the first COVID-19 case was reported, millions of individuals have been infected worldwide, with over a million deaths attributed to the virus. The pandemic has also severely impacted economies worldwide, and countries have long awaited the development of a vaccine to combat the disease. Following several rounds of lockdowns in the U.S. and other countries, multiple vaccine candidates have finally been approved and are being distributed in the U.S. and across the world.

As vaccines become more widely available, new questions arise for scientists, public health officials, and government officials, who must coordinate to address vital next steps, including which countries and populations will be prioritized to receive the vaccine first. Which vaccine should people get, and will they be willing? How long can a vaccine guarantee immunity? What will be the cost?

As 2021 begins, former Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health Dr. Barry Bloom joins Asia Society to answer some of these questions around the approval and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, and what to expect in the next few months.

About the Speaker

Barry R. Bloom is Joan and Jack Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, and Former Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. He is widely recognized for his discovery of cytokines and research in the area of fundamental immunology, infectious diseases, vaccines, and global health.  His laboratory has made important contributions to understanding the role of T cells, cytokines, and macrophages in generating antimicrobial responses. He served as a consultant to the White House on International Health Policy from 1977 to 1978. He currently serves on the Governor’s Advisory Committee for Covid-19 Vaccines in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Dr. Bloom was elected President of the American Association of Immunologists and served as President of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. He has been extensively involved with the World Health Organization, chairing committees on Tropical Diseases, Malaria Leprosy, and Tuberculosis. He has received numerous awards for his scientific work including the first Bristol-Myers Award in Infectious Diseases, the Robert Koch Gold Medal for lifetime achievement in research, and shared the Novartis Award in Immunology. He was elected to membership of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.

About the Moderator

Apoorva Mandavilli is a reporter for The New York Times, focusing on science and global health. She is the 2019 winner of the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting. 

She is the founding editor in chief of Spectrum, an award-winning news site on autism science that grew an audience of millions. She led the team there for 13 years. She joined The Times in May 2020, after two years as a regular contributor. 

Ms. Mandavilli has won numerous awards for her writing. Her work has been published in The Atlantic, Slate, and The New Yorker online, and in the anthology “Best American Science and Nature Writing.” 

She co-founded Culture Dish, an organization dedicated to enhancing diversity in science journalism, and was the founding chair of the Diversity Committee for the National Association of Science Writers. Ms. Mandavilli has a Master of Arts degree in journalism from New York University and a Master of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is fluent in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. 

Asia Society hosts today's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Asia Society views.

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