Covid Vaccine - Ask the Expert

Mrs Peaches Golding OBE chaired a panel of experts involved in Covid-19 vaccination research.  The event was webcast live across the South West and organised by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Among the panel was Prof Saul Faust (professor of Paediatric Immunology & Infectious Diseases at the University of Southampton), Prof Adam Finn (a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation also involved in research trials using Oxford/AstraZeneca, Janssen and Valneva vaccines), Dr Lawrence Barnes (Principal Investigator for the PROVENT study which is looking at whether giving antibodies to those ineligible to the vaccines might provide protection) and Research Matron Lisa Berry (NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility). Some 190 people, ranging from the general public to healthcare and research clinicians, attended the webinar.  As well as dispelling myths associated with vaccination against Covid-19, the panelists were able to use real world data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the vaccines against the spread of infection and the severity of illness.