Doctor Elaine Morrato, Founding Dean, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health is a very smart scientist.  But lucky us, she is also an epidemiologist who just happens to have expertise in how the FDA goes through the drug approval process.  Even better, she tells us the details of what is going on and what we need to know.

The interview is a good listen, and I encourage you to dig in.

Here are a (very) few highlights.

• She is totally impressed with how fast we got not one but two vaccines.  It’s a big deal.

• She’s equally impressed with the quality of the scientific process to approve the drugs.  (The studies where huge!)

• This speed of innovation is not common, is wildly impressive, and gives her hope.

• Dr. Elaine is less optimistic about our ability (practical and political) to get the vaccine out speedily.

• She reminded us that until we have full national coverage (at least 70% if I understand this correctly) we still have smaller nuggets of relief.  It comes down to risk factors.  Everything has a risk.  And as the number of citizens with vaccines increases, so too do does the risk overall.   Don’t get too excited…having our healthcare providers covered is a big positive sign.  But it’s not time to go to a restaurant yet.

Thanks for the update, Elaine.