COVID-19 in 2026: Why the Virus Still Threatens Vulnerable Patients

In "COVID-19 in 2026: Why the Virus Still Threatens Vulnerable Patients," moderator Jeff Goad, PharmD, MPH is joined by Marcel Curlin, MD to open the series by examining COVID-19's continued toll on vulnerable patients.

Dr. Jeff Goad opens the program by welcoming viewers to a conversation titled "The Pharmacist's Role in COVID-19 Prevention and Vaccine Confidence." He introduces himself as a professor of pharmacy practice at Chapman University School of Pharmacy in Irvine, California. Dr. Marcel Curlin then introduces himself as an infectious disease physician in the Department of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. Curlin adds that he also serves as the university's Medical Director of Occupational Health. Goad previews the episode's scope. The panel will explore the science behind mRNA and protein-based COVID-19 vaccines and how each generates immunity. They will then move into practical communication strategies pharmacists can use to share accurate safety and efficacy data with patients. Goad notes the discussion will also address the root causes of vaccine hesitancy, ranging from side-effect concerns to unfamiliarity with newer vaccine platforms, along with evidence-based approaches for reducing that hesitancy.

Goad then turns to the current state of COVID-19, observing that many patients believe the virus poses little ongoing threat. Curlin pushes back on that assumption. He acknowledges the devastating toll of the pandemic's early years, during which the United States lost more than a million lives. He explains that COVID-19 still circulates widely today, even though public attention has moved on. The burden, however, has become concentrated. Older adults and immunocompromised patients now pay the greatest price, Curlin says. He estimates the virus will still claim between 35,000 and 50,000 lives this coming season, a toll on roughly the same order as a typical influenza season. Curlin stresses that even patients who do not feel personally vulnerable should understand that COVID-19 continues to affect large numbers of people nationwide. That framing sets up the series' central premise: the disease's visibility has faded, but its clinical impact has not disappeared.

The next episode in this series, "ACIP's Vacancy Leaves Pharmacists Navigating COVID-19 Confusion," turns to the guidance vacuum left by ACIP's stalled quorum and what it means for pharmacists this fall.