AAFP to Host Town Hall on COVID-19 Vaccines Dec. 16

For family physicians, one key meeting will be the AAFP’s special Virtual Town Hall, which will be held Dec. 16 from 7 to 8 p.m. CST to discuss issues related to the approval and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. All members are invited to participate.

The Virtual Town Hall will be hosted by AAFP President Ada Stewart, M.D., of Columbia, S.C.; and Julie Wood, M.D., M.P.H., the Academy's senior vice president for research, science and health of the public. Two guest speakers are also scheduled to give presentations during the session:

• Jonathan Temte, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for public health and community engagement at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison and the Academy's liaison to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ COVID-19 Vaccine Work Group, and
• Lee Norman, M.D., secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City.

Town Hall Topics

The Virtual Town Hall is expected to cover a number of COVID-19 and vaccine-related topics, including

• an update on the emergency use authorization and ACIP recommendation process,
• an overview of key efficacy and safety data from current phase 3 vaccine trials,
• key takeaways for distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine using one state as an example, and
• the role of family physicians in education and administration of the vaccine.

Additional Details

Members can attend the Virtual Town Hall through a variety of channels, including the Academy's Facebook and Twitter pages and the AAFP's YouTube channel. In addition to the above topics, members are encouraged to submit questions to the speakers during the Town Hall.

Members who attend the Virtual Town Hall can earn 1 AAFP Prescribed CME credit.

For those who are unable to attend the Virtual Town Hall on the Dec. 16, the session will be available for members on demand the following day. A question-and-answer document from the Town Hall will be available on Dec. 18.

The AAFP will also continue to provide updates on the approval process and the most recent state distribution plans on its COVID-19 Vaccine page.

Other Virtual Meetings

In addition to the AAFP’s Virtual Town Hall, on Dec. 10 and 17, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will hold a pair of public meetings to discuss the recent applications for emergency use authorization for two COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Sandwiched between these meetings, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will hold two emergency meetings on Dec. 11 and 13, which will also be open for public viewing.

A team of expert AAFP staff will be watching these meetings to keep members informed, and as with all recommendations made by the ACIP, the AAFP will review the committee’s recommendations to determine whether the Academy approves them.