FDA should revamp its COVID-19 vaccine advisory committee meetings: Editor’s Commentary
FDA should break the mold when its advisory committee meets to discuss J&J's COVID-19 vaccine.
One of the lessons from the COVID-19 experience is that influencing beliefs and actions is crucial for prevailing over a pandemic. Public health policies and medical countermeasures can only be implemented effectively if millions of people understand and agree with them.
FDA has failed to seize the opportunities provided by advisory committee meetings to shape public opinion. It should rethink the meetings, starting with the Feb. 26 Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) about the COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). News and social media accounts of the meeting will animate discussions that determine whether the vaccine is embraced or if it becomes a source of confusion and division. ...