Q&A: Medical Communities United on Support for COVID-19, mRNA Vaccines

With the COVID-19 vaccine being at the heart of many discussions surrounding immunization safety and efficacy across the US, experts in pharmacy and infectious disease are gathering like never before to support the science-backed evidence of these types of vaccines.

“I think it's important to realize that across pharmacy, infectious disease, and other medical communities, there is strong alignment around maintaining universal access to COVID-19 vaccines,” Jeff Goad, PharmD, MPH, president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told Drug Topics. “If investment in mRNA technology becomes uncertain, it affects not only COVID-19 vaccines, but future products targeting respiratory viruses, oncology, and emerging infectious threats.”

In part 2 of our chat with Goad, he addressed both COVID-19 vaccines and the novel, but tried-and-true, mRNA technology. The technology’s recent emergence across US public health has come with notable backlash and politicization as vaccine supporters and skeptics go back and forth on the proper path forward.

Add in the ongoing developments stemming from unprecedented changes to federal health programs and organizations, Goad helps add nuance and understanding to an immunization landscape that has displayed significant uncertainty.

READ MORE: Expert Discusses the Presidential Administration’s Narrowing of COVID-19 Vaccines

Drug Topics: What is the current sentiment across the pharmacy and infectious disease spaces regarding these potential changes to, or removal of, the COVID-19 vaccine?

Jeff Goad: I think it's important to realize that across pharmacy, infectious disease, and other medical communities, there is strong alignment around maintaining universal access to COVID-19 vaccines. We continue to view COVID-19 vaccines as safe, effective, and a critical tool for preventing future pandemics. The prevailing sentiment is that access should remain broad and uncomplicated. Where concern arises is not with the science—because the science continues to support vaccination—but with policies that create artificial barriers to access and introduce ambiguity for patients and providers.

We all recognize that once access and messaging become fragmented, vaccination rates decline and preventable hospitalizations and, unfortunately, death increases. In short, pharmacy and the medical community are united in the view that COVID-19 vaccines should remain readily available to all patients, and any changes need to be supported by clear, publicly available, evidence-based guidance.

Drug Topics: While the COVID-19 vaccine is involved in many of these ongoing discussions, there has been a greater exploration from the current administration regarding mRNA vaccines as a whole. What would it mean for patients and pharmacists across the US if mRNA vaccines are essentially pulled in the near future?

Jeff Goad: From a clinical standpoint, removing mRNA vaccines and that platform would reduce the option available to patients dramatically, especially for young children. MRNA technology enables rapid strain updates, scalable manufacturing—in other words, we can ramp up production very quickly—and a future for multiple antigen formulations. This platform is very flexible. We may see, instead of getting multiple shots for respiratory season, you may only need one shot in the future. There are definitely advantages to this platform.

Operationally, though, pharmacists would face significant disruption: changes to product availability, because it would go from 3 vaccine products to 1; payer coverage may change; protocols would have to be changed; and potential for product shortages with only one vaccine on the market. Longer-term platform instability really risks slowing vaccine innovation. If investment in mRNA technology becomes uncertain, it affects not only COVID-19 vaccines, but future products targeting respiratory viruses, oncology, and emerging infectious threats.

READ MORE: COVID-19 Resource Center

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