Drs. Robert Popovian (a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at ACSH) and Radife Kiral, both at Pfizer, examine the response of our healthcare system to the COVID pandemic. In some areas we did well; in others not so well. What can we do better in the future?
Years from now, healthcare professionals, economists, public health officials, and policymakers will evaluate the true impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. and the world. However, here in the present, the pandemic has shone a spotlight on both the negative and positive aspects of our current healthcare system. We confirmed that flaws in our healthcare system leave seniors and individuals living in low-income communities exposed to an excessive burden of illness and that ethnic and racial minorities of all ages have markedly diminished access to preventative care such as immunizations. But we also witnessed how healthcare professionals cared for the sick under tremendous pressure while sacrificing their health and saw how private and public partnerships can develop and deploy life-saving vaccines in record time.
Finally, we observed how the pandemic depressed routine childhood vaccinations across the U.S. When the country shut down in March 2020, pediatrician visits were put on hold. That inevitably led to kids falling behind on their vaccine schedules.
Dr. Popovian is the Vice President of Health Economics and Policy at Pfizer. He is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at ACSH.
Dr. Kiral is the Regional President, Vaccines (North America), at Pfizer
#This paragraph is an excerpt from an article originally published on the Inside Sources website. Reprinted with permission. The complete article can be found here.
