COVID-19 Vaccine Questions And Answers

We have been dealing with the coronavirus and the impact the pandemic has dealt to our lives for nine months and still the cases of COVID-19 surge in Ohio and many other states.

Ohio recorded 7,835 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday.  The number is considered a lagging indicator.  The Ohio Department of Health says thousands of additional tests remain under review.   Still the number is below the three-week case average.  The state also reported 436 additional hospitalizations yesterday down from Tuesday’s numbers.

 Governor Mike DeWine says the “end of the pandemic” is in sight pinning his optimism to the anticipated arrival of a vaccine.  DeWine says Ohio could see its first doses in a matter of weeks.

Tuesday, he toured a warehouse that the National Guard will protect.  The site will distribute doses of the vaccines statewide.

Both Moderna and Pfizer have asked the Food and Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorization for their vaccines.  A number of other drug companies continue work on their own vaccines.

Previous development of vaccines took years.  The fact the vaccines-- for a novel virus-- were developed in less than a year is an incredible achievement for scientists and researchers.  However, the imminent arrival of vaccines moves the pandemic to a new phase and also brings a number of questions. 

Our Ideastream health unit has been working to answer questions about the vaccines, including those sent in by listeners and viewers.

The ongoing pandemic and the tremendous job losses created by efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus brings the availability of healthcare coverage to the forefront.

Experts predict that this combination of COVID-19 and lost jobs will test the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare as it is known and the safety net it provides.

Due to the pandemic, people who never had to be concerned about Obamacare plans may find themselves needing to navigate the process for the first time.

Enrollment for 2021 remain open through December 15.  But that’s not being widely publicized by the Trump Administration.

There are a number of plans to consider for those shopping for healthcare coverage and it can take time.

 We are now more than one-month past Election Day.  While we have a president-elect in Joe Biden, President Donald Trump and his team continue to make unfounded claims of election fraud and dispute the outcome of the election.  Judges have dismissed a number of lawsuits filed in key battleground states won narrowly by Biden. States meanwhile are certifying their vote totals.    The election process still has a few steps to go.  Chief among the vote by the Electoral College which is scheduled for December 14.

Lisa Ryan, Health Reporter/Producer, Ideastream  
Anna Huntsman, Health Reporter/Producer, Ideastream  
Karen Pollitz, Senior Fellow, Kaiser Family Foundation  
Robert Alexander, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, Ohio Northern University