Preventive Medicine 2020 Online brought together leaders from medicine and public health to examine the most pressing issues in healthcare today, and how the Nation’s healthcare system can be transformed around prevention. This virtual meeting offered high-quality medical education programming, networking opportunities, and the recognition of the best in the profession.

The meeting was organized around critical topics including innovations in community health, public health policy, evidence and practice, health systems transformation and lifestyle medicine. Each meeting day was themed around two critical topics, with distinct sessions addressing shared themes in the practice of prevention.

Preventive Medicine 2020 Online focused on big, bold, upstream ideas and the people, places, and programs that are making them a reality today. Transformation is only possible with a clear vision, audacious goals, an innovative mindset, and the will to implement new policy and practice, honestly evaluate change, and engage stakeholders at every level.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed numerous fractures in our healthcare and public health systems but has also revealed and highlighted opportunities to collaborate with partners, including government, to identifying new diagnostics and treatments, including a vaccine against COVID 19. 

ACPM President, Dr. Stephanie Zaza,  engages with Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, President, Global Vaccine Business Unit, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, in an in-depth discussion about the global race to develop a COVID 19 vaccine and efforts to create a system for prioritizing the distribution of the vaccine. 

Prior to joining Takeda, Dr. Venkayya served as Director of Vaccine Delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program and served on the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Before that, he was the Special Assistant to the President for Biodefense at the White House. In this capacity, he oversaw U.S. preparedness for bioterrorism and biological threats and was responsible for the development and implementation of the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza.

1. Cite current worldwide efforts to develop an effective COVID 19 vaccine
2. Describe the rate-limiting steps for vaccine manufacturing and how pharmaceutical companies are preparing for it
3. Articulate how international vaccine-development working groups plan to ensure equitable and fair vaccine distribution worldwide.