This session will provide personal reflections based upon the presenter’s experience supporting vaccine development and safety oversight—from rapid development to long-term safety monitoring—and reflect on how human research protection professionals can contribute to public trust during future public health emergencies.

Learning objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Recall the COVID-19 pandemic of early 2020.
2. Summarize the key features of Operation Warp Speed, leading to FDA Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 vaccines
3. Understand how vaccine safety is monitored post-authorization, including methods for identifying and managing safety signals.
4. Consider the rise of vaccine hesitancy and its implications for research and public health
5. Discuss ethical challenges in vaccine oversight, including risk communication, and personal autonomy vs. public health protection.