When Dr. Paul Spearman accepted an appointment to the vaccine advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he did not imagine the level of public attention it would be getting.
"Absolutely not," said Spearman, director of the division of infectious diseases at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
But he understands the public interest and scrutiny, he says. A pandemic will do that. And he thinks the attention is good.
Spearman has been on the FDA's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee since May 2018 and will continue at least through January.
Committee members review data on the safety, effectiveness and appropriateness of vaccines and related biological products. Spearman said that includes considering vaccine strategies and whether boosters are needed. Twice a year, he said, they meet to discuss what the next strains of flu might be and the makeup of flu vaccines for the upcoming season.
