YSPH EMD Seminar: "Expert Advice in COVID-19 Vaccine Policy-Making—Past, Present, and Future"

The evaluation, introduction, and evolution of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination programs in the U.S. have required federal government health agencies, state and local health departments, and private institutions—including Yale—to rapidly collect, assess, and act upon emerging evidence regarding the optimal use of vaccines in response to the pandemic. These activities have been supported by the contributions of subject-matter experts, some in the form of longstanding advisory bodies that have assisted in the formulation of vaccine regulation and policy for decades, others that were quickly assembled to respond to the unique circumstances and urgency of COVID-19. This talk will explore the varied roles of experts and expert advice in supporting COVID-19 vaccine policy-making, evaluate how these groups approached the work assigned to them, and offer preliminary reflections regarding lessons from this ongoing experience that may strengthen the role of expert advice in vaccination policy, both on an ongoing basis and in response to future public health emergencies.